


~Love's A Dangerous Game To Play~

by Vivian_R_Vergiou



Category: Mystic Messenger (Video Game)
Genre: 707 | Luciel Choi's Real Name, Action, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Cults, Drug Abuse, Emotional Manipulation, F/M, Guns, Lots and lots of smut, Love Triangles, MC and Jumin are engaged, Manipulation, NSFW, PTSD, Polyamory, Reader Is Not MC, Reader and Seven are childhood friends, Reader-Insert, Romance, Shady Past, Slow Burn, Spies & Secret Agents, Spoilers from all routes, Thriller, UNKNOWN|Saeran, Unrequited Love, but just to get things started (you'll see), but when time comes for it, explicit content, i hope you enjoy this!, mature - Freeform, non-con, stalkers, tags will get updated
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-21
Updated: 2018-08-03
Packaged: 2019-04-05 16:08:58
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 12
Words: 77,495
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14047944
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Vivian_R_Vergiou/pseuds/Vivian_R_Vergiou
Summary: Escaping your dark past isn't as easy as one would think, especially when five years later and after you are out, an old friend comes to seek your help. Seven is a sweet memory you cannot forget and absolutely cannot say no to, so before you realize it, you rush to his aid. Only that this time, something else lurks in the dark, watching you. Will you escape this time?





	1. Chapter 1 Ghosts Of The Past

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys! This is my very first attempt into writing for the MM fandom and I really hope you'll like this story! ^^ Kudos are always welcome and comments help me become a better writer, so don't hesitate! This story is a bit dark, so I hope you're ready for a crazy ride! Have an amazing day/night :3

_“I hunger for your sleek laugh and your hands the color of a furious harvest. I want to eat the sunbeams flaring in your beauty.”_   
_― **Pablo Neruda**_

_“There is a charm about the forbidden that makes it unspeakably desirable.”_   
_― **Mark Twain**_

_“But hurry; let's entwine ourselves as one, our mouth broken, our soul bitten by love,_

_so time discovers us safely destroyed.”_   
_― **Federico Garcia Lorca**_

_“Stop trying to throw logic at nightmares. Sometimes the monsters are real._   
_Sometimes they're real and the only way to defeat them is to be the bigger monster.”_   
_― **Laurell K. Hamilton, Bullet**_

 

* * *

 

 

 

 There are some things in life that are beyond than simply able to take your breath away with the simplest of moves.

   One of those things, is the full moon shining bright above the Acropolis hill; the silver light of the moon reverberates  on the striking white marble, creating reflections of pure white light that are enough to enrapture your heart and carry you away into faraway lands in time. Suddenly, you can be well aware that history and magic really wrapping around you like a warm blanket of wonders, taking you back into time and revealing to you one of the Wonders of the earth in all of its unchanged and untainted glory. The more you look at the night which loses its grasp over the darkness, turning into an eerie midday, the more you find yourself enamored by it. And to tell you the truth, I didn’t fall too far away from that category myself. Walking the narrow streets of Plaka, streets that are now deserted by any living sign of souls moving around, it seems like the shadows start to dance in the Muses tune to recreate the glory they had in past times.  Suddenly, you are no longer alone; shadows of the past walk all around you, rising from their places of rest to dance along the howling moon and bring forth with them all the rich history hidden in those deceivingly simple looking stones.

   Yet it was utterly strange to find Plaka completely deserted by any people.

 When you walked the cobble stone pathways by day, making your way through the crowds of local people mixed with huge crowds of tourists, it always seemed to give you a certain sense of togetherness and at the same time if that was ever possible, anonymity. Nobody knew who you were and nobody really cared; yet you were an irreplaceable part of them nonetheless. If anything were to happen to you, you had lots of people to rush to your aid, either to help you out in any way they could, or defend you from whatever the threat was fearlessly. You were protected; safe and sound in a place that was bathed in rich, clear sunlight, with the lingering aroma of water and spices dancing in the air. Strong and vivid conversations would reach your ears from every possible corner; you would be able to taste the foods being cooked in the air and feel your skin being all warmed up by the gentle sunlight which would kiss your soft skin ever so smoothly. Every now and then, your eyes would turn upwards. Upwards, towards the hill of none other than Acropolis itself; the huge temple standing proudly on the top of the hill even after all the hardships it had gone through over the centuries.

   But Plaka was not a place you wanted to wander around by night. When the night fell like a veil over the beautiful city of Athens, she abandoned her cosmopolitan and bright face to wear a mask of danger and constant vigilance; it was a place were ill-famed people wandered around and declared as their territory. One would rather prefer to avoid it by night, the exception to the rule being the local residents, who had no other way to reach their houses.

  Like me and Alexandra.

‘Boy, when Demetris said we were going to have a party, I never believed it would take this long!’ Alexandra exclaimed exasperatedly, throwing her hands in the air and stomping on the ground like it was a lifelong enemy, making me chuckle.

  ‘Oh c’mon, it’s not that late. Barely a quarter after five in the morning!’ I smiled, watching her sigh heavily.

‘We have classes tomorrow dummy! Who’ll be able to wake up now?’ she said, throwing a stray lock of her frizzy, curly brown hair back from her face; I could swear, her disheveled long locks resembled more of a mane rather than normal human hair.

 In her words, I raised an eyebrow ‘I’m sure mama Helen is completely able to wake you up Alex!’

 ‘You’re just as doomed as me _____ since you live above our flat you know.’ She grins evilly, pumping her fist in the air as she watched my face drop.

 ‘Then you better forget we have classes. I ain’t waking up at eight o’ clock that’s for sure.’ I said heavily.

  ‘I won’t but don’t sell me out; it’s too bad already that she called my university to ask how many classes I have left.’  She rolls her eyes and shudders heavily, reminding herself of that horrible evening; boy oh boy did I remember it too.

  ‘Heh, at least it won’t take you too long…’

‘Says the girl who has two courses left.’ My attempt to pacify her falls on deaf ears ‘You’ll have to help me out when exams come around though. Maybe I’ll have a chance then…maybe.’

  Smiling, I hit her playfully on her shoulder ‘Then you better study or I’ll whoop your pretty ass.’

‘Bitch, my pretty ass is on fire; studying will save me.’

  It would be an understatement to say that me and Alexandra were best friends. To be completely honest, both of us had crossed this line long ago and now we pretty much considered ourselves sisters, watching out for each other and grasping as much of life as we could. Alexandra was the typical Mediterranean beauty you would find in places like this; with curly long, chocolate brown hair that framed her heart-shaped face with the delicate characteristics, her small stature and frail appearance with wheat colored, perfect skin, made her seem delicate. Only that in reality, she was the complete opposite; something you could see on the fire burning deep into her hazel eyes. She was a living fire, ready to scorch everything in her path.

  Ever since I came to Greece five years ago in the tender age of nineteen, completely alone in a country where I didn’t even speake the language, Alexandra and her family had come in my life and stayed for good. I was actually renting the small apartment over their own and being so young and completely alone had moved the family’s curiosity to befriend me in no time. As I came to realize some time afterwards, that was the typical Greek behavior when it came down to young people; they had a tendency to keep an eye out for them when they knew they had no family left to take care of them. Just like me. Alexandra had introduced the shaky, tired and afraid old me to a brand new world that never even hesitated to welcome me as one of their own as if I was part of them from the start. Her family pretty much adopted me as one of their own and her mother, Helen, always had a cup of my favorite hibiscus tea and a comforting word to offer when past ghosts seemed to catch up on me. They were the warmest people I knew and I cherished them deeply. It had almost been five whole years now and I simply couldn’t imagine my life without them.

 ‘Anyway, that’s too bad, but we can’t do too much now.’ She simply shrugs ‘On another note though, Demetri’s friend was quite interested in you tonight don’t you think?’

  ‘Who?’ my tone betrayed my uninterest, making Alexandra raise an eyebrow.

  ‘Paris of course!’ she exclaims ‘Don’t play dumb, he was flirting with you all night! Don’t tell me you didn’t notice!’

 ‘Really? Sorry I didn’t.’ I threw a hand on my neck and smiled, clearly embarrassed ‘I thought he was simply kind.’

  Alexandra scoffs ‘You’re seriously thick in the hea-‘

  Whatever Alexandra was about to say was shortly interrupted abruptly, when loud commotion came from our left as we rounded a turn. Curiously, my head turned towards the direction the sound came, only for my eyes to locate two men standing on the other side of the road, laughing and talking loudly among themselves, dressed in nothing more than shaggy jeans, hoodies and worn out shoes. One of them was holding a cigarette in his hand, while the other had his hand pressed against the wall and- was currently blocking the way to a small girl that was desperately trying to avoid them. She was carrying along with her a pretty large luggage and was completely oblivious to the loud men who were taunting and asking her to follow them in order to have some fun. The girl was trying to communicate in a few broken English, but the men continued laughing and talking to her in Greek.

 My jaw clenched.

 ‘This isn’t good.’ Alexandra spoke out my thoughts, walking a bit closer to me as we both stopped and stared.

  ‘She seems Korean and obviously lost. We should help her.’ I said, just as the girl managed to pass under the man’s hand and walk away, but both of them circled her once again like true vultures. The comments they were throwing to the oblivious girl made my blood boil.

 So there was only one thing to do.

 Take action.

 Stepping a little bit towards her direction, I could clearly see the men looking at us curiously from the corner of my eyes, yet I solely focused on her to mentally let her know she had back up this time.

   _‘Ibwa yo! Annyeonghaseyo! Jeogiseo gwaenchanhseubnikka?’_  [Hey! Hello! Is everything alright over there? _]_ I yelled towards them.

  ‘What the fuck?’ Alexandra turned to stare at me completely wide-eyed, but I just couldn’t explain just yet.

 In the sound of the familiar language, the girl perks her head up immediately, her eyes scanning the whole deserted road up, until they rest towards us and a huge wave of relief washes over her. She tries once again to move closer to us, but the guys get in her way, looking at her and then at me confused.

  ‘ _Ani, na jom dowa jul su-iss-eo?’_  [No, can you please help me?] she yells out.

 _‘I salamdeul-i dangsin-ege munjeleul il-eukigo issseubnikka?’ [_ Are these guys giving you trouble? _]_ I responded, walking closer to the sidewalk and preparing to pass to the other side. Alexandra was hot on my tracks, eyeing the two guys who were now getting impatient.

  ‘ _Ye! naneun tteonago sipjiman naleul duji anh-eulgeoya!’_  [Yes! I want to leave but they're not letting me!]

‘Alexandra we have to move. They’re not letting her go.’ I whisper over to Alexandra, making sure she was the only one able to hear me.

 In response, my best friend grabs my hand tightly and follows me as I cross the road and go over to the desperate girl, who moved uneasily as the guys let go of her hand and turned their full attention over to us. Alexandra let out an almost inaudible scoff and I tightened my grip around her delicate hand.

  ‘Wassup girls, wanna join the party too?’ one of them slurred towards us, reeking of whiskey and smoke. It made my stomach turn and Alexandra hurled mockingly.

  ‘No thank you, we prefer our guys sanitary clean and STD-free.’ She throws on their faces sarcastically.

‘What the fuck did you say bitch?’ the other one stepped out and required, dangerously close to us.

‘You heard her. The same way you heard the lady over there say no. Now, get lost before I castrate you fuckers.’ I warn them, taking a threatening step forward.

  ‘The ‘lady’ is coming with us.’ The first man chuckled and walked up to me, puffing his chest out in a threatening way that did not make me flinch at all. On the contrary, I felt a tag of pity for the poor soul that tried to play the macho-man without knowing what he was about to deal with ‘And we are not going to let anyone ruin the fun…~’

  Gently, I let go of Alexandra’s hand; taking the hint, she rushed to the Korean girl’s side, openly glaring at the two men and wrapping her hand around the girl in a reassuring way. By the way her eyebrows had met over her eyes, I could tell she was growing anxious by the second, watching them in fear as they ganged up on me, trying to appear intimidating. She was also, clearly perplexed as to why I appeared so calm. If only she knew. Even if we were friends for so long, there were parts of my life she was completely oblivious about. Now that the cat was in a way out of the bag though –and especially with what I saw coming or us in the near future- there would be a lot of explaining to do. The question though would be: what should I tell her?

  The moments passed and the man was now on my face, inches away from touching his body on mine. The stench was utterly stomach-hurling and my only thoughts were that I must take a cleansing bath once I go home, with hot water straight out of Mordor if I wanted to cleanse this foulness off from me. He kept staring and laughing at me along with his friend, throwing slurs and curses to all of us. As for me, I calculated the distance between the first man and the second; they were just a meter or two apart, the perfect distance if I could compliment them on that. This was going to be a walk in the park. If only they gave me the nudge to-

Aaaaand there it is!

 The first man raised his filthy hand and rested it on my shoulder, laughing and calling me an ‘eager slut.’

  _Game over bitch!_

In a blink of an eye his hand was no longer resting on my shoulder. Instead, my own hand had shot up out of nowhere, grabbing it hard by the wrist and turning it painfully backwards, removing it from my own person. The man cursed in pain; suddenly both he and his friend were on high alert, but there was no way they would have guessed what was coming.

  Stepping a single step on the right, I throw my right hand over my face; anger and determination burst through my heart, running like hot iron inside my veins and turning my brain completely on high alert mode. My elbow flexed and before the man could really understand what was going on, it had come in hard contact with his unprotected neck. A choking sound was emitted immediately and the man took a single step back, releasing his grip on me and throwing his hands over his neck, he gave me the perfect opportunity to strike. Clenching my teeth with power, I shoot out my hands and passing them behind his head, I take a hold of his greasy hair, before I pull his whole face down and raise my knee. In a matter of second, his face comes in merciless contact with my knee, hitting him full force. The man screams and his body jerks violently, before he loses his footing and crashes on the floor where he remains, throwing his hands over his face and crouching in a fetal position.

 So much for the toughness, I thought ironically.

 A shadow drew my attention right then though; out of the corner of my eye, I saw the second man take a single step back and then with a wild cry, lunge against me, raising his hands over his head in order to strike me as hard as he could. Poor idiot.

  Taking a small step back to gain a perfect balance, my right leg kicks up and finds him straight between his legs, hitting him with all the power I had. Any sound that was about to come out of his mouth is shortly drowned by a painful yelp. His hands fly to cover his groin and he falls on the floor, struggling for air.

Letting out a breath I never knew I was holding, I turn my attention to the two girls who were both watching me wide eyed.

  ‘They’re not going to be trouble anymore.’ I smile brightly.

‘W-well, we can pretty much see that.’ Alexandra comments dumbfounded.

But this was not the time to dilly-dally, since we had already drew too much attention.

  ‘Alexandra, call a taxi to take our friend here to anywhere she needs to go; it’s not safe to wander around. I’ll ask her were she is heading.’ I said to the browned haired girl, who nodded and took out her phone as I turned to the other girl ‘ _Munjega saeng-gyeoseo jeongmal yugam-ibnida. Nae ileum-eun _____imyeo igeos-eun nae chingu Alexandraibnida. Ulineun dangsin-i iss-eoya hal gos-eulo delyeoda jul taegsileul buleugo issseubnida. I sigan-e banghwanghaneun geos-eun anjeonhaji anhseubnida.’_   _[_ I'm really sorry for the trouble. My name is _____ and this is my friend Alexandra. We're calling a taxi to take you where you need to be; it's not safe to wander around at this time.]

 The pretty shaken girl only blinked and managed to pull a faint smile _‘Jeongmal gomabseubnida! Naneun wanjeonhi ilh-eobeolin hu geu salamdeul-ege dallyeo deul-eossda. dowa jusyeoseo gamsahabnida!_ ’ [Thank you so much! I was completely lost and then I ran up to those guys. Thank you for helping me!]

 ‘______ the taxi is already here..’ Alexandra spoke up.

 We helped the shaken girl get inside and I managed to give the right directions to the taxi driver, who looked a little bit spooked when he saw the unconscious guys still lying on the floor. The Korean girl thanked us again and again, until the taxi took off and both of us were left to get back home on our own. Thankfully, it wasn’t too far away, just around the corner, something that would give me enough time to avoi-

  ‘Care to explain the sudden Korean google translate?’ Alexandra pulled me out of my thoughts as our houses came into view. Her question unwillingly made me tighten myself a little bit, my brain falling into overdrive for a split second; thankfully, Alexandra didn’t seem to notice under the now faint moonlight, something that I was thankful for.

  ‘Um, it’s no biggy really.’ I laughed it off, but from the serious expression that had fallen over her face, it was obvious she was not going to take that as an answer.

‘Spill it ______, or I’ll make you.’ she barked ‘What on earth were that Korean and were did you learn Kung-fu?!’ she threw her hands in the air, turning her big hazel eyes on me suspiciously, watching like a vulture if I was going to lie or not.

 I swallowed hard ‘W-well, when I was back in America, my folks had hired me a Korean nanny. She was such a nice lady and managed to teach me some. As for the Kung-fu –which is so not Kung-fu- , I grew up with a brother, so you know how this goes.’ I simply shrugged, trying to appear relaxed.

 Alexandra narrowed her watchful eyes on me, clearly not buying the whole story I was selling her, but no indications of a lie were anywhere written in my eyes or expression. When we finally reached our houses, she sighed deeply and decided it was too late to interrogate me; we would pick up where we left off tomorrow, when the faint alcohol and tiredness were not running through our veins and clouding our vision. Inwardly, I thanked her; it was too late for that kind of conversation and since she knew it involved my family, it was obvious that it was a matter that needed to be treated carefully. And adding tiredness and bad decisions did nothing to help.

 So we said our goodnights by the door and I headed up the stairs towards my apartment, fishing my keys out of my pocket and using them to unlock the door, I passed into the dark interior. Reaching out for the switch, I opened the lights and dropped my bag carelessly beside the sofa, before walking over my computer and switching it on. Swiftly, my eyes wandered over my apartment; it was a small, two room apartment with a great view to the streets of Plaka and towards Acropolis. The huge space hosted the living room and kitchen, while another door in the back lead to my bedroom and bathroom. In those five years I was here, I tried my best to [decorate ](http://www.dreamholidayrental.com/propertyimages/IMG8498571.JPG)the beautiful space , but I believed I still had way to go.

  ‘I should get a shower; I reek.’ I murmured to myself, leaving the computer alone to load with its leisure and walked to the bathroom.

  Turning my phone to some relaxing songs, I stripped down and before going into the shower, I threw my clothes in the basket. Turning the water on, I made sure the pressure was just right before stepping inside, allowing the warm water cascade down my tired body. It was relaxing and the cute aromas coming from the shower foam and shampoo where exactly what I needed to turn into jello under the water. If you asked me, this was one of the small pleasures of life that made it all too endearing; the feeling of water gently kissing your skin, relaxing you and reaching deep within your chest to warm your heart to the fullest. It gave you the opportunity to think things straight and with some degree of logic. Like, what I was going to do with Alexandra; I couldn’t tell her the truth of course, she wouldn’t believe me even if I did, so for now, I would have to stick with what I already told her. C’mon _____! You are a strong, independent 24 year old woman, you were allowed to keep some things for yourself! Especially those that would otherwise harm others.

 When I was finally clean and relaxed, I grabbed a nearby towel and wrapping it around my body, I stepped out of the shower completely renewed. Using another towel for my hair, I walked out of the bathroom and into the living room, checking the time only to see it being half an hour before sun rise. Yet the late time and pretty much anything else soon evaporated from my mind when my gaze was drawn by my computer screen.

  My heart froze.

My whole body came to a stop and my brain completely emptied, ordering the rest of my muscles to seize any sort of movements and lock in place, refusing to move even a single inch.

  My breath was caught inside my lungs, as raw fear raced though my veins.

Right there, flashing with a pure white all over my computer screen, was a symbol I knew all too well.

 A Lotus flower.

One moment I was standing frozen in the threshold of my living room and the very next one, my body catapulted towards the computer. Literally dragging the chair open to sit, I desperately started clicking on the Lotus icon, begging my computer to go faster.

  When it finally reacted, an email opened widely right in front of me, further making my heart drop.

 

 

_Heya _____~yeo!_

_It’s me, your amazing Defender of Justice SEVEN – ZERO – SEVEN!!! It’s been quite a while since we last spoke, but now it’s finally the time to see my cute kitty’s face :3 ! There are some matters back here that only you can deal with, so I need La Muerta’s help once again! What do you say? Please help me out for old time’s shake my kitty~!_

 

_Luciel_


	2. Chapter 2 Stranger In A Strange Land

_‘Saeyoung, I have to go, it’s not safe. I-I can’t do this anymore…’_

_‘______ just hear me out, I’m going to fix this!’_

_‘N-No! I…can’t be here anymore.. I’m so sorry..’_

_‘I…. _______. ______!’_

_‘Good bye Saeyoung.’_

 

  
 

  I woke up with a violent start. Jumping up on my bed, I couldn’t understand were I was nor what I was doing there; all I could feel at that moment was the heaviness in my chest choking me to death and the wetness of my eyes and cheeks. I was clutching the sheets for dear life and as my brain started focusing back in the reality around me, I realized I was in my own simple [bedroom](http://www.valenamare.gr/wp-content/uploads/sites/49/2016/03/garden-view-2-1920x1280.jpg); there was a heavy pounding on the door, which was probably what had woke me up in the first place. Thankfully though, because resting my hand on my cheek, I realized I was crying in my sleep.  Alas, I didn’t have time to contemplate more, since the banging was about to bring my door down.

 Throwing my covers to the side, I stepped on my sore feet and navigated groggily towards the door. The more the pounding sounded, the more my head was throbbing, like someone was hitting me straight to it with a hammer.

  ‘Alright, alright, I’m coming…’ I muttered angrily.

 Opening the door, a very familiar, rosy red face appeared in my vision, surrounded by a halo of dyed wheat colored hair. The lady that was standing right in front of me, resting her right hand on her waist and leaning on her left foot with an exasperated expression making her full lips press into a thin line, was a 45 year old woman you simply did not wish to go up against in any way. Her sky blue eyes were stormy at the moment, looking at me up and down, making me gulp.

  ‘M-mama Helen? Wha-‘

She raised her hand in a flash, making me shut it or else...

  ‘I’m making you some tea and breakfast young lady.’ She declares, passing by me with determination and making her way to my kitchen, completely ignoring the stunned me who was still standing on the threshold of my house. I gulped hard, watching her as she stormed in like she owned the whole place, opening my fridge and starting gathering the necessary ingredients for a luxurious breakfast by yours truly. Blinking my surprise and sleepiness away, I finally gathered the strength to close the door and walk over to the kitchen island, pulling a stool and sitting quietly on it, watching the older woman create true wonders right in front of my eyes.

  ‘Where is Alexandra?’ I asked sheepishly, immediately accepting the cup of steaming tea she placed right in front of me wordlessly, dropping inside two spoonfuls of sugar.

 ‘Alexandra is running some errands. Suits her right after ditching class; she is currently running around while a storm is passing over Athens.’ Helen says, raising a devious eyebrow at the surprised me and smiling slyly ‘She thought she could escape me.’

  ‘Of course she didn’t.’ I said, looking outside the nearest window, only to see the torrential rain whipping it mercilessly; poor Alexandra, you were doomed right from the start ‘Then I should be with her, since I ditched class as well.’

 Helen nodded ‘No. You young lady, are in desperate need of a good breakfast and a chat. Don’t you think even for a second that I don’t know you had a nightmare last night.’

  My blood froze. I almost choked on my tea ‘Y-you know huh?’

She nodded solemnly ‘Marcus started hearing you about an hour ago. I’ve been trying to wake you up for fifteen minutes…’

 I passed a hand over my face ‘That loud this time huh?’

‘It’s been two years since the last one. What happened darling?’ she asked me, her eyes melting away with all the motherly love she held for a child that wasn’t hers; she was always like this. With a huge smile on her face and the warmest hug a single person could possess, she was literally the epitome of a mother, making me feel secure and loved when I was around her. She treated me like I was one of her own, rushing to my aid whenever I had a nightmare –which were rather frequent when I had first came here-  and helping me recover from everything I had been through. Alexandra, Helen and the father of the family Marcus, were the ones I owed my sanity to when I came here a broken and empty shell. They had no obligation to help me whatsoever, yet they did out of the goodness of their hearts. I owed them who I was right now, along with my eternal gratitude.

  ‘I-I had another nightmare. My mom and sister this time.’ I murmured, my voice almost drowning in the commotion coming from outside.

  Helen sighed and finally stopped going up and down the kitchen. For a while, the woman remained completely silent, focusing solely on serving me a plate filled with omelet, two slices of bread with my favorite jam on them and an apple, perfectly sliced and cut; she was struggling to find the correct words to tell me and I turned my full attention on my plate. Trying to avoid her gaze. Trying to keep my secrets perfectly closed inside my heart; she mustn’t find out. They will never find out. No, no, it would be too dangerous for them. And I would never be able to forgive myself if anything were to happen to them.

  ‘You know, sometimes people that have passed away come in our dreams to show us the right path. Especially when we have a very difficult decision to make, they appear to aid us. Since they’re always looking after us from wherever they are. Maybe that’s the case here as well; your mother and sister want to point you to the right direction.’ She exclaimed, thoughtfully looking deep into my (e/c) eyes.

  In response, I simply shrug it off ‘After all this time, one would believe I would know what to do.’

  The rest of the morning passed in relative quietness. Helen kept me company for as long as she could, but a phone call from Alexandra a few hours later made her excuse herself hastily, leaving me all alone with my thoughts. Sighing deeply, I grabbed my mug and sat on my favorite rocking chair, which I had strategically placed in front of the window door that lead to the balcony; this way, I was able to see the storm emanating outside the house in full force. The heavily grey skies were booming and flashing with even more light, as the various lightning touched the ground deep into the distance, kissing their beloved earth in a deadly embrace. It was not such a strange weather for the first days of September in Greece, but the piercing chilliness which accompanied it, was certainly unusual. From where I was sitting, I could see every now and then people running in the rain, either cursing it or enjoying it. And it seemed ready to continue on for hours.

  Not that I minded too much; the weather outside seemed to match with my mood completely.

 Truth be told, there was so much darkness in my life that in times where the nightmares plagued my mind, I found myself almost drowned by its heaviness. It wasn’t too strange for the nightmares to be triggered now and completely out of the blue, since Luciel’s email yesterday surely shook me up, even if I kept my calm. It brought to light what I have been hiding for five years now and it certainly wasn’t pretty. I had spend so much time trying to dig it down, conceal and hide it away from the whole world the best I could, but a single message from him after five years was enough to break everything down once again. Why this man had such power over me, I would never know. Deep down though, I always knew that no matter how much I tried, my past was bound to catch up on me.

  Because unfortunately, I was lying to Alexandra and Helen. From the first time they met me in person, speaking only English and unable to hide away all the things I had been through from my face, I managed to sell them nothing but pure lies. Terrible, horrible lies. All of them thought they knew me all too well, but in reality, they had absolutely no idea the horror they had brought inside their own house. If they knew, they would have already turned me in the police…. Or worse.

  I had told them that I was a student from America. I had just lost my whole family –my father, mother, sister and brother- to a terrible car accident that had left too many scars over my own person as well. We were just your typical American family, loving and supporting each other until one fateful day, the wheels of the Moires turned to our disadvantage. We were going for a field trip; my father was driving, me and my siblings were singing loudly in the back seat. My mother had turned her beautiful face to look at us, when my father cursed heavily as a huge truck appeared out of nowhere. What I remembered next was a bright white light and I woke up in a hospital bed completely alone for the first time in my life. So I had decided to run away; come to the country my mother came from. Forget everything, drop everything… and run.

  That last part was the only thing that was true. The rest were all lies.

Now, it appeared that my past, my dreadful, horrific past was catching up on me. Luciel was the only thing I regretted abandoning when I ran as far and as fast as I could. I left him behind, all alone and completely unprotected, because the more I was standing right beside him, the more he as in mortal danger. And I simply could not allow that; he had been hurt too much already in his life, he didn’t need me right beside him to draw in all the nightmares. Hell, I  **was** the nightmare standing right beside him. Yet he never thought of it like that. He never believed I could harm him; only that I did.

  So I ran. I left him all alone and ran to the other side of the earth so that the monsters wouldn’t get to him a second time. And seeing his email –our Lotus email, the signature that portrayed it was actually us talking to one another and reaching out for help- in my incoming mails surely shook me to the core.

  Only that, I could no longer offer him any help.

The moment I would make a single move, all my cover would be blown to pieces; so, he would have to forgive me. There was no way for me to help him out anymore.

  Shaking my head to clear all the memories that threatened to claw their way out of the abyssal pits of my head, I pushed the image of the red-headed man out of my head.

  I continued on with my day.

  Getting up from the chair, I decided it was a good opportunity now that the weather was awful to clean the whole house up. Gathering all the needed cleaning products and wearing the most comfortable clothes I had, I unleashed my attack against the entire house; no surface was safe from my attack, no counter, no couch, no anything. Blasting loud music from my phone and singing along to it terribly, I wiggled my butt and moved my hips to the rhythm, leaving behind me a spotless house that smelled only of vanilla and lavender. The storm still emanated outside and the cold only grew stronger as the hours passed and the sun started setting on the distance horizon, but nonetheless, I had opened the windows widely to allow fresh air and the smell of rain enter the house. I even cooked a pretty elaborate meal for myself, followed by two chocolate soufflés with peanut butter filling. I took another bath, used some personal care products I had never even used –like a nice body lotion Alexandra had given me- before grabbing a plate filled with food and plopping myself on the couch. I turned the TV on and dug in my plate with nothing but happiness resting my weary heart for the first time that day.

  Time passed rather quickly and in no time, I found myself laughing loudly at the comedy movie I was watching, even if my head started feeling heavier and heavier with each passing minute. When it became practically unbearable, I decided to take some painkillers to ease it a little bit.

 Reluctantly, I stood up and walking over to the nearest drawer, I started rummaging through it in search for the medical kit. Swearing to myself, I failed and after many attempts, I started pulling everything out; completely frustrated, I didn’t pay too much attention as to what I was throwing.

  Until my hands pulled out a certain piece of paper.

One gaze over the worn out and crumbled in a few places paper, my heart sunk inside my chest and my breath completely seized.

 Right there, on that single piece of paper, I found my very own self smiling brightly for the camera. I must have been around fifteen years of age; my hair was long/short and practically disheveled, yet my (e/c) orbs were filled with happiness as I smiled a toothy grin for the camera. I remembered that day; I remembered it like it was yesterday but what I couldn’t remember was how on earth did that photograph got shoved in that drawer. My heart pained me. Right beside me, there was a boy smiling brightly, his warm liquid-gold like eyes filled with a warmth I could only feel when the sun was kissing my skin gently. His bright vermillion hair was utterly scruffy and protruding towards every possible direction; he was holding the camera with one hand and had passed his other hand over my shoulders, pulling me closer to his body. We were both two aloof and careless fifteen year olds, who had already seen too much of the world, but not too much just yet. That was for the years that followed.

  Yet Luciel appeared to be so happy.

 _I_  appeared to be just as happy.

  A few years later, just when we would turn nineteen, everything would crumble. I would fail him irreparably. I would hurt him in the only way I dreaded so much, yet he would be kind enough to help me escape here. In my darkest time, the only one that stood decisively right beside me and defended me with everything he had, would be none other than my childhood friend Luciel Choi. He had done everything and I owe him. I owe him big time.

  Thus, my thoughts returned back to the email.

 For him to be reaching out for me after all this time, things must have been pretty rough for him. That special email was only for extreme times of utter danger and after I had made clear that we would never see each other again or contact one another from the moment I left, there must be something big going on for him to reach out. He was in grave danger; I could feel it in the pits of my stomach. And I owed him my life, which he so generously saved. Could I leave him in a time of need like this?

 Even if I risked everything?

Even if I placed his life and mine on the line once again?

Maybe after five whole years, all the issues had died down.

Maybe, just maybe, it was relatively safe.

 Alas all that did not matter anymore.

Because as I stood there on my very spot, looking at the photo, with tears that refused to come yet burned my eyes nonetheless, I made a decision that would probably change everything. I hoped nothing bad would come of it though.

 It took me only a moment to decide.

Luciel was in danger.

 And I will go back to South Korea.


	3. Chapter 3 ERROR - 707

 

 

 

Seoul always had a certain beauty when it was raining.

  Enormous skyscrapers were splitting the vast skies in half, bathed in many colors and lights that reflected on their glassy surfaces like a true rain of colors and rainbows dancing across your very own dazzled eyes. Many of the high-tech buildings contained offices, apartments and even some of them were turned into luxurious hotels, with people coming and going in front of them like a continuous well-oiled machine; some where looking at the showcases of adorable shops or talking to their phones, protected under their umbrellas from the soft rain that cascaded the Heavens and touched the cold ground, enabling the rich aroma of metal and rain and dirt bloom in the air, triggering a nostalgic feeling into every beating heart that experienced it. Even with such bad weather, the vast crowds looked vibrant and smiling, going around taking care of their chores or coming back from their jobs; it was already late in the afternoon and the streets were pretty much packed with people and cars. The sun had long ago set in the distant horizon, though darkness had already befallen through the narrow streets, since the huge buildings created a world of their own rules as they surrounded everything with their towering existences. Honking and yells resonated from everywhere, reverberating and filling the refreshing night air, while the radio was loud enough to allow the faint k-pop songs to reach my ears, making me hum mindlessly to their upbeat or sorrowful tunes. The taxi driver seemed to never stop yelling at the people in the front, but my thoughts were too far away already to actually tune in and understand what he was saying.

   All other thoughts had finally gone silent inside my mind, making a single one prevail loud and clear: I was back home. After so many years, I had returned back to the city that raised me and shaped me into the person I was today. Bittersweet memories were simply hanging around in every corner and memories I long thought forgotten where now trying to pry my attention back to them, gently prickling the edges of my consciousness.

  I’m not going to lie to myself; it seemed utterly bizarre to be back after all those… events… that had happened both to me and to the ones I cared about a long time ago. Too long ago it seemed. As I closed the door of my apartment in Greece solemnly and ever-so-quietly, with a heavy feeling of dread nesting its way into my heart, nobody had discovered me as I carried a small luggage with some necessities and shoving a small, hand-written note with a half-assed explanation under Alexandra’s door. I was ashamed by the way I was escaping; like a thief going out into the night, I listened carefully just to make sure nobody would notice me disappear into the dead of the silent night that was as eerie as it was unusual for bubbling with life Greece. It was better that way, I thought; if everything went as planned and hoped, I would return to find a deranged Alexandra ready to slit my throat with a can for leaving like that, but if I didn’t…. I didn’t want to think about it right now; nor in any way think what it would do to them to know I was never going back because I would be  _no longer here_. The familiar Seoul streets felt utterly surreal to see from up close once again and heaviness had once again rested in my heart; I pushed them away briefly, trying my best to keep up with my unbroken composure and keep whatever emotions stirred into my heart at a safety distance. This was not the time to be sentimental; I was only here for pure business, nothing else.

  Mere business.

 Nothing else.

  Clearing my mind in a desperate attempt to keep it under control, I shake my head a little bit to chase away the pestering thoughts that would do me more harm than good; a single glimpse out of the stained with raindrops window is enough to let me know we have already reached the meeting point and I couldn’t help the cold shiver that runs down my spine, making the hair in the back of my head stand up. My eyes instinctively shot out and traveled over the quite large coffee shop standing at the very other side of the road; in a rather rural and secluded neighborhood, it blended in with its surroundings quite nicely, despite its enormous size and bright, inviting lights. In the base of a fifteen story building, the front was made out of huge glass walls, decorated with various adorable curtains here and there, making it look a bit more welcoming and homey. It was easy to peer inside, watching the customers sipping their coffee gently and the waiters running up and down, rushing to make sure all the needs of the customers were met to the best of their abilities. It was strange not to see them laughing along with the customers or among themselves, as I had grown used to these past few years...

  Sighing deeply to myself, I decided it would be pointless and a waste of time to wait under the rain for any bit longer. Giving the needed amount of money to the taxi driver hurriedly, I use my bag to cover my hair –hey! I’m still a girl and I love having perfect hair- as I get off the car and walk across the street, my feet landing heavily on the small puddles of water gracing the concrete, yet failing to reach deep into my leather boots as I walked straight into the sheltered entrance of the café as fast as I could.

 Pulling the handbag down, I allow my (h/s), (h/l) (h/c) hair to cascade towards my shoulders gently; passing a hand through them, I tried my best to make them as presentable as I could by ruffling them skillfully. Placing the bag strap on my shoulder, I lower the zipper of my leather jacket and take a look on the reflecting window to make sure I was presentable. My black leather pants matched perfectly with my jacket, and the simple Guns-N’-Roses dark grey t-[shirt](https://www.polyvore.com/highway_to_hell/set?id=205516425) I had chosen for the occasion, was completing the look perfectly.

   _Now let’s get this joke over with_ , I think to myself.

 Walking up to the glass double doors decisively, they slide open widely and I am immediately taken aback by the livelihood of the café, buzzing with conversations and life. A kind waitress immediately rushed to where I was standing and greeted me with a large, genuine smile, offering to take my jacket politely, which I gladly handed over, before scanning the whole place up in search for the specific boy with the tomato colored head.

  Nothing was on my right, except from some people openly staring straight at me –great! Now it’s not the time to be self-conscious ______!- , and then on my left, my eyes manage to pinpoint almost immediately what appeared to be scruffy, tomato colored hair in the farthest corner of the café, on the most secluded corner the shop could offer to its customers. I couldn’t see his face clearly from where I was standing, since he appeared to be talking intensely to the rest of the people surrounding him, three men and a woman, leaning towards them in such way that his facial features were properly covered by the rest of them. Yet a moment before I had the chance to avert my gaze and try to reach for my phone in order to contact Luciel, the red-headed man looks up abruptly, catching me on the spot openly staring straight at him.

  Melted gold of the finest quality bears into my very soul, reaching deep down into the depths of my mind and reading me like a true open book. Red eyebrows that were knitted together in curiosity suddenly disappear in the hairline above them, as a small smile makes its way over my face and I feel my heart pounding a little harder against my chest, offering small a speck of dusty red to color my cheeks ever-so-faintly and a heaviness in my heart. The clearly surprised man jumps up from his seat as if he was struck by lightning exactly where he was standing, almost hitting on the corner of the table and by now I was sure I found the man I was looking for; clumsiness and dorkiness were truly attributes one could not shrug off once he has acquired them, no matter how much he or she might change over time.  And boy, oh, boy, was he different from what I remembered when I had last seen him all those years back.

  Luciel was no longer the teenage boy that had barely started getting rid of his childish features at the age of nineteen. Now a full grown, twenty three-year-old man was standing proudly at the height of 5’ 9’ right across from me, with broad, sturdy shoulders and lean but muscular stature that was subtly pointed out under the layers of his clothes. His face had lost all of its childlike characteristics all at once, leaving behind a well-pointed, strong jaw with high cheekbones and large, bright, liquid golden eyes hidden behind that very same pair of yellow and black stripped glasses I had personally bought for his 18th birthday. His vermillion colored hair was reaching just a bit further down from his earlobes and were in a casual disarray; betraying he had nervously messed with them to relax a little bit over and over again. He was wearing a casual pair of jeans, matched with a red shirt and a black jacket; a silver cross was decorating his neck, shining under the bright lights and hanging lightly from his sturdy chest.

  Honestly speaking, the man before my very surprised eyes was surely not a teenager anymore and had absolutely nailed the dangerous sexiness adulthood brought along, even under his carelessness in clothing.

  Needless to say, Luciel literally ejected out of his seat the moment we both recognized each other and after so many years, it was one of those few times that a real smile graced my lips unconsciously, pulling my lips into the most heartwarming and beaming smile I had ever offered another human being. My feet suddenly quickened their pace all by themselves and Luciel moved around the table and started walking towards me as well, amazement and wonder clearly plastered across his face.

  ‘_____-yeo, is that really you?! Hot damn!’ he exclaims, his voice deeper but still youthful.

  ‘Come here you tomato-head!’ I chuckle heartily, rushing up to the man with ever-so-light steps.

  Warm arms wrap around my waist in a single heartbeat and my vision is blurred by a red ocean of hair, as we both hug each other for dear life. Earth is lost under my feet as Luciel picks me up and spins me around effortlessly, allowing rich laughter to escape my lips. My heart pounded hard against my chest and the rich aroma of honey and butter reached my nose, a familiar scent that I just now realized how much I had missed. Happiness and calmness rushed straight from my heart and coursed rapidly through my veins, reaching all of my mere existence and lighting it up on the warmest of fires I had ever the chance to be burnt with. And the same went for Luciel as well, since I was sure that the rest of the world vanished for both of us; silenced and completely empty, it left us all alone to indulge in one another for just a mere second, just a second that was more than simply enough to convey feelings that were never going to be spoken aloud by neither.

   For just a single heartbeat, it was once again only me and him against the whole wide world; left all alone to protect one another, we were not as irreparably damaged as we knew we were. We were just innocent kids once again, able to indulge in one another without constant fear shadowing our lives and dread staining our every action. There was not a single enemy in this life or any other life that we would be unable to conquer. Like two hearts being as one, our souls tangled with one another merrily, rejoicing and healing from all the time we had forcibly made them to stand apart when in reality, and they were made to be close to one another. Under my clothes, I could feel his own heart pounding loudly and hardly against his chest. And I was happy; eyes watery, laughter escaping me in a joyous sound of bells ringing, heartbeat one continuous hum, I was indeed truly happy once again.

  When Luciel finally puts me down and pulls away, all I can really do is smile up to his goofy, cat-like grin that had slashed his magnificent face in half.

  In response, I ruffle his hair messily ‘You’ve grown too much you know. I told you to stay away from too much Honey Buddha Chips, you human-sized cat.’ I smiled brightly.

 Luciel actually beamed, his eyes practically sparkling with excitement ‘Honey Buddha Chips are my FUEL! How can Defender of Justice S E V E N – Z E R O – S E V E N survive without them?!’

  ‘Well, Defender of Justice 707, you’re the only one that can make me fly here from anywhere in the world.’ I tease him playfully, messing his hair mercilessly and with the man letting out a chuckle but leaning in the touch almost instinctively.

  ‘~Meow, I needed my kitty’s help once again. How could you resist such cuuuuuute face?’ he teases and pouts adorably, taking my hand gingerly and carefully in his and leading me to the table he was sitting, but not before he winked at me deviously; making sure nobody but me would notice.

  ‘So guys, here is my friend and comrade  _La Muerta_  aka _____~! _____-yeo, this is everyone!’ he nodded grandly towards his companions that surrounded the whole coffee table and who curiously turned their eyes on me, the unfamiliar face that had joined them.

‘Luciel, refrain from raising your tone.’ A black haired man said evenly, folding his hands over his broad chest ‘You’ll attract unnecessary attention.’

  ‘Nobody knows us around here Jumin. I don’t think there is a problem.’ A blonde haired young man responds, cautiously trying to pacify the first one and smiling kindly.

  ‘Speak for yourself Yoosung!’ a white haired, handsome man intervened, rolling his eyes ‘You don’t know the pain I went through to get here without being spotted.’

  ‘Zen, it’s only to be expected now that you took on a much larger role.’ The browned haired, austere looking girl finally spoke up, her glasses glinting under the lights.

  ‘How about we focus on the point of this meeting and properly introduce ourselves to this woman? We have no time to spare and manners to forget. Let alone the fact this is barely the safe place to talk about such matters.’ The first man called Jumin said, averting his cold, steely grey eyes to nail themselves on me with pure seriousness an authority oozing from each and every fiber of his existence. He was obviously the older one, rather around 28 years of age, with his sharp characteristics belonging to that of a man of authority and power. He was rather slim and lean, with messy coal black hair that an ahoge would have. He was wearing a formal suit, with a striped long white shirt, black vest and a tie and he was sitting on the head of the table like a true king with a large glass of wine in front of him ‘My name is Jumin Han and I am a Project Director in C&R.’ he introduced himself formally but with a certain air of elegance in his whole demeanor.

  ‘Nice to meet you ______!’ the white haired man called Zen spoke up, interrupting whatever Jumin was about to say and smiling broadly, he winked at me. He must have been 25, with silver-white long hair with short bangs falling a little bit over his eyes, which were in a dazzling red color. He had rather noticeable muscle tone and a beautiful face, which was perfectly complemented by his hair and eyes. He was wearing a white long jacket with a black turtleneck underneath and currently, he was smiling and looking at me head to toe in a rather flirty way that made me conscious of Luciel’s hand tightening around my waist ‘As you probably know already, I’m the popular actor Zen!’ nodding kindly and smiling sincerely.

  I nodded ‘Well, I’m sorry but I don’t watch TV too much. I’ve been out of the country, so I haven’t stumbled upon you just yet.’ I admitted kindly.

In my words Zen seemed utterly horrified, while Luciel and Jumin laughed at the man’s horrified expression.

  ‘My name’s Yoosung Kim! You’re Seven’s friend right _____?’ the blonde man spoke up, drawing my attention to his petite figure and making me nod to his direction politely.

  Out of all of them, Yoosung clearly appeared to be the youngest. With bleached blond hair, kept out of his eyes by two brown pins messily stuffed against his fringe, his soft violet eyes resting under the bright wheat color betrayed his innocence and youthfulness, making him appear rather naïve and good-willed right from the start. His clothes were casual and comfy looking and his smile was as bright as the sun on a clear and warm day.

  ‘Yes, to tell you the honest truth me and Luciel are childhood friends actually, going back quite a bit in time.’ I offer a small smile back as I sit on Jumin’s right and Luciel’s left with a small thud sound; Zen and Yoosung were seated right across from me, still looking at me curiously. The moment the words left my lips, everyone excluding me and Luciel froze completely on their tracks like true statues; surprise and disbelief painted their faces and no one spoke a single word, making Luciel shift on his chair awkwardly and cough to make them get out of their stupor.

  ‘It’s not every day we meet someone from Luciel’s past. He surely hasn’t mentioned you before.’ The only girl on the table spoke up ‘I’m Jaehee Kang and I’m mr Han’s assistant.’ She explained. She was a rather beautiful woman, Jaehee. With short, neatly cut brown hair and goldish brown eyes that reminded me of coffee mixed with honey, her austere posture failed completely to take from her beauty and she was nailing the business outfit she was wearing. Behind her glasses, her eyes were austere and betraying no emotion as they regarded me carefully, trying to find out what kind of person I was.

  Yet I was here neither to be interrogated nor to dig up my past in any way.

 ‘I would be really surprised if he did actually.’ I reply coldly, keeping my voice even ‘But I believe you didn’t call me here for a cup of coffee and polite chit-chat now, did you?’ I say, shifting a little bit in my seat.

 ‘It would be a lie to tell you otherwise; there is a greater matter of utter importance that needs to be addressed.’ Jumin says calmly and sighs, leaning in towards the table with the faintest shadow of worry and anger burning deep inside his eyes, barely noticeable and making me wonder if I had imagined it. As soon as I had the chance to really notice it, it was gone as fleetingly as it had appeared, replaced by an aura of calm authority, like he was the master of this upcoming chat, all the information needed hanging by the ends of his fingertips.

  Before I had the chance to investigate this strange man further though, Luciel pulls my attention.

   ‘We have a situation that needs your aid immediately ______. I called you here because I know you are the best at what you do.’ He explained, nodding at Jumin who fished a small photograph from his pocket and placed it right in front of me on the table. In it as I opened it, was a normal, sweet girl wearing a really beautiful white dress, smiling for the camera broadly with the sun bathing her in a magnificent golden light. She looked like an angel that came to earth to bless it with God’s divine light.

  ‘This is MC. She is a member of the RFA, our organization and has recently been abducted from her home downtown; not too far from here to be exact.’ Jumin explains, resting another photo of a huge apartment building and pointing at it ‘She was abducted from the fourteenth floor and the perpetrator broke through the window to get to her. Her return to us is our number one priority; she is my fiancée and I do not wish for anything bad to happen to her.’ He said calmly –rather falsely calmly, since I could see right through his façade; he was anxious about her- and in his words, I noticed Zen crossing his hands over his chest irritably, yet saying nothing.

  ‘When was she abducted?’

‘Four days ago.’ Seven continued ‘The man who did it’ he placed a photo of a surveillance camera which had caught a full image of a white haired, black dressed man. In contrast to Zen, he was a lot leaner and apparently at the same height as Luciel; his face was covered by a black mouthpiece and his right shoulder was decorated with a strange eye-like tattoo ‘Is named Unknown and his affiliation rests with the organization that is after us, called Mint Eye. I managed to hack into their headquarters and I know where she is held, thankfully alive. They have not asked for ransom yet, which means they are planning both to keep her and come after us.’

  ‘And this man is the one behind it all?’

‘No.’ Jaehee was the one to speak up this time, her eyes gleaming with determination under her glasses ‘We’ve received several emails threatening that we are going to be the ones next, after MC was abducted. He is apparently one of their henchmen, since our few encounters with him have given us the impression that he works under someone’s orders. His goal, is to ‘lead us all to paradise’.’

  I nodded skeptically ‘And this RFA organization you all belong to apparently? What is that about?’

  This time, to my complete surprise, it was Yoosung that spoke up, his voice acquiring a determination that chased away his innocent aura completely. Even if he swallowed hard and avoided looking at me directly, he sounded pretty sure about the info he was giving me ‘RFA was founded by my cousin Rika, who passed away two years ago. We are organizing fundraising parties with various objects for sale in order to help people in need. After Rika died, we remained idle for a year, until MC came to our lives and helped us host them again.’

  ‘I see. How did MC came in contact with you though?’ I press on further, looking at them expectantly.

Yoosung’s gaze darkens ‘Apparently, Unknown led her to us.’

‘But I can assure with proof that she has no affiliation with him.’ Jumin intervened.

  All the information was formulating inside my mind and I had to admit they were rather much indeed. Even if I had came across harder cases than their own in the past, I could simply not overlook all the dangers that screamed bloody murder, both for myself if I got involved and for the people around me, that were already involved deeply into this. For them not to ask for any ransom and especially since they hadn’t killed her yet, seemed that something much more than simple recruitment was in cue here and that was the most dangerous part about it. Luciel placed more documents right in front of me and explained, many depicting special locations of where their headquarters were, others images from the surveillance at the day MC was abducted and others with possible blueprints of the building they were keeping her in. In some of them, images of the abductor were displayed, who went as far as to look straight into the cameras monitoring him. Arrogance and certainty. He had planned this all along.

 At some point, Luciel ordered me some of my favorite hot chocolate with whipped cream on top, while the rest of the members had gone back to their conversations, speaking on how much they were affected and what the next step should be. Apparently, they had chosen this café in order to be away from their homes, which may or may not be compromised by bugs or hidden cameras that would pretty much place them all in lethal danger. Seven was adamant that they should all move into his house just in case; it was a natural fortress due to his hacker status and due to the company for which he worked for. But as I listened to them chat more and more, I simply could not take any longer.

  ‘I refuse to do this.’

  My statement could as well as be a shot in a silent day. Everyone froze on their tracks as I spoke up, dropping what they were doing and turning all eyes on me, who calmly collected all the data presented to me with a sweep of my hand and proceeded to tidying the documents up calmly; paying attention to no one in particular, I gently focused on my task and sighed ever-so-faintly like nothing was ever amiss. Nobody spoke; even the ready-mind of Jumin had seized to function and Jaehee was also looking at me like I had grown another head. I swear that if I dropped a pin down, it would reverberate like a gunshot. Nobody breathed. A few moments passed, and eventually, the dead-like silence was broken by a single voice.

  ‘What? Why?’ Luciel turned towards me bewildered, his golden eyes filled with uncertainty and doubt. His mouth was half open and he was clearly failing to process what I had just said.

 I was adamant though ‘You heard me; I won’t be going after her.’ I looked up to the frozen people looking at me ‘Due to some personal matters, I have long ago withdrawn myself from the open field of action. So I’m terribly sorry, but I’m unable to go after MC because this will endanger both me, all of you, and MC in the long run; you better find someone else for the job.’

‘W-wait! Why can’t you do it?! It’s a simple request and Seven said you were the best for it babe!’ Zen interrupted me, resting his hands on the table and leaning towards me, desperately trying to understand as his red eyes scanned my face.

  ‘Luciel told us you were a professional. You can honestly bear with yourself and stand by idly, as an innocent is getting in harm’s way or even worse?’ Jumin threw at me coldly.

‘Luciel was wrong. I  _used_ to be the best for this job. I have retired for five years now and I’m not willing to go back; Luciel, maybe you should do it.’

  ‘______! You know this isn’t my field of action! If it was, I wouldn’t have brought you here in the first place!’ Seven defends himself bewildered, leaning a little bit towards me in shock ‘I’m nothing more than a mere hacker; you were the heavy trooper for the missions, it was your job to get people out!’

  ‘Yes it was!  _Was_!’ it was my turn to respond angrily, eyes flashing with pure spite and hands instinctively tightening into fists; alas, I still kept my voice low since we had already attracted the attention of a passing waitress and a nearby couple ‘And you  _Luciel Choi_ , out of  _all_  the people in the world, should know the risks I will take in order to help you out now. I cannot risk that! I abandoned my life five years ago for that special reason and ran to the other side of the world to hide away. People just don’t usually do that on a good day you know!’ I bit down bitterly towards him, watching as his golden eyes filled with realization and his strong jaw tightened.

 Jumin chuckled humorlessly ‘So you are willing to let an innocent girl get in harm’s way, just so that you won’t face your own demons.. It would be understandable if a life was not on the line.’

  ‘I’m simply suggesting someone else would be better than me.’ I repeat coldly, steadily.

‘But why ______? You seem nice, why won’t you help MC?’ Yoosung asked, his violet eyes blooming with tears. All I could do to respond was bite down hard on my bottom lip.

‘You are afraid.’ A voice suddenly spoke up and everybody snapped their heads towards the source, only to find Jaehee looking at me with surprise written all over her face; her glasses were almost ready to slide off her nose and her hands were tightly wrapped around her coffee ‘You are afraid to go help her, in case you are discovered. That’s why you ran in the first place; someone is after you. Someone of power.’

  My jaw tightened and my blood ran cold ‘We have nothing more to discuss here.’

 Hastily, I grabbed my things and left some money for the chocolate, preparing to get the hell out of Dodgeville as soon as my legs could carry me. It was a mistake to come here in the first place; how foolish of me for old-time’s shake to come back. Things like these were going to cost me my life at some point, I am sure of it. Alas, even if I turned on my heel and prepared to leave as fast as I could, a vice-like grip wrapped around my wrist and I was pulled back to my seat harshly in a flash. Surprise penetrated my mind, which was thrown into danger mode immediately; my head snapped back to see who had grabbed me and properly defend myself. But instead of a random foe, the hand belonged to none other than Luciel himself. He was looking up at me seriously, having tightened his jaw to the fullest and with his golden eyes never straying from mine, watching diligently my very soul for any traces of emotion other than surprise. He was serious;  _dead serious_. And if I knew Luciel for all these years, this only meant more trouble.

   ‘I understand your hesitance; believe me I do. I was the one to help you run away in the first place.’ He speaks up, voice austere and leaving no openings for any doubt; a seriousness which was so in contrast with his child-like and aloof character ‘You’re afraid and scared and haunted by what happened in the past, but just for this once, you’ll have to help us out no matter what. MC is an innocent _____; she did nothing to deserve what happened to her and we’ll help her along with you. She is barely the same age as  _they_ would have been. Not to mention that you owe me that _____; you owe me a favor for helping you out. I swear nothing bad is going to happen to anyone; you’ll go in, retrieve her, get out, go back like nothing happened if you’d like. Nobody will know you were even here. It’s been so long _____, nobody is after you anymore. Please, help us kitty.’

  He didn’t understand. After all these years, after all the heartbreak and the pain both of us went through, one look in his golden eyes and I could still see the light of hope burning inside him, a hope that had been lost from my own a long time ago.

  Gazing upon Luciel, I could feel nothing else but anger and hurt blooming inside my heart like poisonous flowers bound to pollute my every being. It was obvious that all the talking I had done so many years ago had gone for nothing; it was as if my words had gone in through one ear and out the other with nothing in the middle to hold on to it and now, he was bringing me in a tight position in front of all these people that were desperate for my help. And damn him, damn him to hell, he knew that it would be tough for me to deny them such a request. Luciel had managed to expertly drive me into a corner and I was a complete fool to actually forget he was like that in the first place.

   I was so angry…! My fists tightened and I had to mentally fight the strong urge to punch him square in the fucking face, break his nose and storm out of here only to go back to my serene and calm life. I had actually managed to get out, to finally w i t h d r a w away from all the gutter I had thrown myself into and here he was now, trying to pull me back. Inhale ______. Inhale…..exhale…..calm down…..don’t make a scene. Deep breaths.

  As I willed myself to calm down, the images of the smiling MC popped inside my head. She was truly an innocent person, tangled in a thread of darkness and demons that had finally closed up to her. Was I really in a position to let a complete innocent die like that? What if it was Alexandra or mama Helen in her spot?  _No,_ I shook my head,  _I would never let anything happen to them._

  Raising my gaze decisively, I look at all the silent people eagerly awaiting for my response, knowing damn well what I had to do, not for Luciel’s shake, not for anybody’s shake, but for the last remaining shreds of humanity I had left inside.

  Slowly, I nodded.

 ‘If we are going to do this..’ I voiced, trying to sound calm and collected ‘We are going to do this my way and nobody else’s. Am I clear?’

  ‘Crystal clear kitty~!’ Luciel cheered not daring to hug me thank God, while Zen and Yoosung cheered and high-fived each other.

  But others were a little bit harder to convince.

‘What do you mean by ‘ _your way’_  exactly?’ Jumin couldn’t help but ask, even if relief was evident in his almost slightly relaxed posture. Jaehee seemed to share his concerns. He raised an eyebrow.

  I chuckled darkly ‘I go in and if I’m discovered, everything will go down in a blaze of glory. No polite chit-chat. Raw survival. That’s what I mean. If you want my help, you’ll get your hands dirty big time.’ 


	4. Chapter 4 City Of Demons

‘Is it just me, or is it much colder all of the sudden?’ Zen said the words I was thinking aloud, the moment all of us stepped out of the comfortable café.

   The late hour and the unstoppable rain that now gently poured from the darkened skies above our heads, only served to drop the temperature even more, making me zip my jacket all the way up to shield myself from the penetrating coldness. It was not too late in the evening though, yet I felt completely drained of my entire energy and in desperate need of a hot shower the moment I would be in safe quarters. After I unwillingly accepted to help them all out by retrieving MC, I needed to know every single detail about her abduction in order to be more effective when the time to retrieve her would come. Jumin had informed me in great detail that she was abducted right out of her house –she lived with Jumin nowadays as his official fiancé- where she had returned to grab some clothes. Both me and Luciel agreed that it would be for the best to go check it out; it was possible that a clue might have been left behind. Luciel was not too happy about it, murmuring bitterly that it might be dangerous even for me, but in the end agreed to do things my way after a threatening glare I threw him, forcing him to take a step back and raise his hands up in surrender.

 ‘I don’t think it’s that cold. The weather is normal for this time of the season.’ Jumin answered calmly, hitting dial on his phone and placing it over his ear with an elegant movement.

‘That’s because you’re one cold fucker.’ Zen snorted back, his voice filled with irony.

‘Are you sure it’s not safe enough for each of us to drive ourselves home mr. Han?’ Jaehee pushed her glasses up her nose. Jumin turned his even stare at her and after murmuring a few more things in the phone, he promptly hung up.

  ‘I don’t really think it’s okay to wander around completely alone when Mint Eye is out there.’ I spoke up and Luciel right beside me nodded vigorously, a sly grin over his face.

  ‘_____-yeo is right~! That’s why she’ll be staying with me from now on!’ he exclaimed happily, making me gasp audibly in surprise and turn to look at him, utterly bewildered.

  ‘What the fuck Luciel? Who decided that?’ I demanded angrily, watching him simply shrug and wink at me with a devious Cheshire grin spread all over his adorable face.

  ‘You’re in grave danger as well, so you’ll be staying in my bunker. The more the merrier and I want to have my kitty all for myself after so long.’ He grinned widely, ruffling my hair until I smacked his hand away with force, fire flashing over my eyes. I was about to demand more and downright refuse going with him, but Jumin obviously had enough of our bickering for one night since he spoke up almost glaring at us.

  ‘Nobody will be living alone from now on.’ he simply said ‘_____ and Luciel will be staying together in the bunker and for the rest of us, I have already hired the best team of bodyguards to fortify our houses. They are all waiting for us outside our houses and have special orders to transfer us anywhere; so, no moving around with our own automobiles.’ He cleared, still stone faced.

  ‘Hell no! I’m not leaving my motorbike!’ Zen refused angrily, raising his hands in the air exasperatedly.

‘And I’ll have to move around on my own in order to get more information you know.’ I spoke up, clearly aware of Luciel wrapping his hands around my waist and nuzzling his nose affectionately on my neck. It was tickling me at the moment –and the bastard knew it- but I tried to keep a straight face and ignore him the best I could. God, I had forgotten how childish he could be at the most serious times. But I would be a great liar if I failed to admit that it made me feel all warm; sweet warmth enveloped my heart in his touch and unconsciously, I found myself yearning for him no matter how much I fought against it. Luciel had always been in my mind all these years that we were apart and surely, me leaving in the way I did left many things unspoken that were in terrible need of being addressed.

  Jumin turned to fully face the raging white-haired man, his tall figure towering well above my head and in his complete seriousness, he appeared threatening and menacing; his grey eyes were steely cold and it was obvious he wouldn’t take no for an answer.

  ‘I had my people take care of everything, so both of you will have to comply for your own safety. If not, you’ll be held accountable for your own actions.’ He informed us, downright ignoring Zen ‘Luciel, I will escort you to _____’s hotel to pick up her personal belongings and drive you to your house along with Yoosung. As for Assistant Kang and Zen’ he turned his steely gaze at them, making Jaehee visibly stiffen ‘Have a pleasant and safe night.’

  As soon as Jumin finished his sentence, a huge black SUV car came to a stop right in front of him. Motioning to us to get inside with a simple nod from his head, Yoosung was the first one to do so, jumping on the passenger’s seat, with me and Luciel joining Jumin in the back. Jumin’s driver, mr. Kim asked me where I was staying and the moment I told him the name of the hotel, he immediately drove off leaving Zen and Jaehee behind us. Still, I couldn’t say that the atmosphere inside the car was even remotely close to friendly or anywhere away from heavy and gloomy. Especially when Luciel caught me by surprise and took my hand in his warm own, only to further push me on edge. Jumin was looking out of the window, making me swear I saw a small rainy cloud looming over his head and throwing thunders every now and then; only Yoosung had managed to strike up polite conversation with mr. Kim, much to my relief; at least Yoosung’s happy voice was enough to make… this… a little bit less awkward.

 ‘So ______, my kitty, where have you been all this time?’ Luciel eventually spoke up, passing his hand over my shoulders and pulling me closer to his side, much to my dismay.

I tried to lean as far away as I could, but the close space of the SUV didn’t leave me any room for personal space, making me swear a bit under my breath as I gave up eventually; my chilling coldness came in contrast with his burning hot skin and I found myself sighing in content before I had the chance to stop it.

  Still, I rolled my eyes ‘You know I can’t answer that. For sure though, I wasn’t where you send me to.’

‘My little kitty; it doesn’t even surprise me anymore how fast you can go under the radar.’ He mused excitedly and ruffled my hair.

  Slapping his hand away, I grin maliciously ‘I learnt from the best now didn’t I? Wasn’t expecting the email though.’

‘Luciel was adamant into not contacting you, but the circumstances –as you can see- are rather critical.’ Jumin crossed his hands over his chest and sighed, letting me into a full view of his shoulders relaxing; maybe now that we were not out in the open and I had actually agreed into helping them, he could see a ray of hope for his lover’s safe return. I couldn’t say I didn’t feel for the guy…

  ‘I actually thought you were not coming.’ Luciel admitted solemnly, his golden eyes melting as they turned to look at me and a small frown appeared over his beautiful characteristics.

 In response, I nodded ‘At first, I thought it was too risky; I was simply too well-hidden, finally completely under the radar and away from this life. But I couldn’t do this to you; I had to at least hear you out.’ I point towards our surroundings with a wide movement in exasperation ‘And here we are now.’

  ‘What is it exactly that you do? Luciel isn’t exactly close to anyone other than us, so for a childhood friend to appear out of the blue, is rather… unusual…’ Jumin comments and his grey eyes nail themselves on me rather sharply; he was waiting to see if I was about to lie or tell him the truth and by the looks of it, Jumin was a person you could not lie to. Alas, I was not your typical girl as well; there were only a few things I couldn’t do and lying didn’t fall under this category.

  ‘I’m guessing you know about Luciel’s job right?’ I ask and he nods solemnly ‘Well, I used to be Luciel’s partner back in the time; he was the expert in hacking and technology and I was… what you would call, a  _field_ agent. He was responsible about the info of the jobs we took and I was the one carrying them out in the open field.’ I admit, looking up to see if Luciel was uncomfortable with the few info I was sharing, but the man only nodded and smiled to me.

  ‘Kitty-yeo is the best when it comes to these types of jobs. You should see her for yourself.’ He chuckles.

 ‘The time for that will come.’ Jumin nods ‘But for the time being, search for more information about MC’s whereabouts before going in to retrieve her. I want her back unscratched and I promise you, I’ll make sure to provide the best cover-up story in revealing those bastards and keeping your identity hidden.’

  ‘I would expect no less from you Jumin-nim. And I am counting on you to keep your word.’ I simply say, my voice keeping a certain hue of a warning inside that was immediately picked up by the watchful man across from me. There would be no coming back from giving me his word and there was no way for me to get less than what I was expected to; he knew that I was dangerous, I could see it in the cautious way he was looking at me from the corner of his eye and I would be a liar if I said I expected anything less from him. He was a true businessman and they were notorious –even in my field of action- to be best at judging when danger is lurking around.

  Alas, we weren’t able to indulge in more details or conversation, as the driver came to a stop right in front of my hotel; it was a rather nice looking building, in a rather nice street that would prevent anyone from thinking ‘oh, here might be the place the person I’m looking for is living!’. It was plain and blended in with the surrounding buildings just enough for me to have a nice place to stay for the time being; I had preferred it in the past as well and the owners knew me enough to keep my presence here hidden, since I had helped them out a lot in the past. Driver Kim brought the car to a stop right in front of the entrance and all of us got down and I led them all inside.

 ‘That’s a nice hotel if you ask me.’ Yoosung chirped up as I greeted the receptionist and led them all to the elevator ‘You have a nice taste _____-nuna.’

 ‘Say, I can buy it for you Yoosung~!’ Luciel smirked deviously to the younger man, his comment causing him to drop his jaw to the floor.

 ‘You’ve got so much money Seven?!’ he asked dumbfounded.

‘Of course I do! Buuuuuuut, you’ll have to work here so no more Lolol raging at nights.’

Yoosung’s mood seemed to drop almost immediately ‘I’d rather have my guild and Lolol; thank you very much!’ he said and crossed his hands over his chest, averting his gaze to the side and sulking like a little child, obviously falling for Luciel’s tricks like a rookie. Which only fueled Luciel’s devious side even more.

  ‘I wander what your mom’ll think of this~! Oh! I should call her ri-‘

‘DON’T YOU DARE LUCIEL CHOI!’ the younger boy snapped irritably, glaring daggers to Luciel, who only laughed his heart out.

  Jumin simply rolled his eyes in exasperation to their constant bickering and I elbowed Luciel to his sides to make him stop teasing Yoosung. As it was with gamer druggies, he just couldn’t help himself when it came to games and if I remembered correctly, Luciel passed this phase as well. So he had no reason to tease him. Yet, when Luciel saw my warning look, in an instant he had winked at me, leaning in and planting a kiss in the top of my nose. Catching me completely by surprise by the closeness and intimacy, I felt my cheeks inflame in a matter of seconds, a rich red color that could very well match with Luciel’s hair, peppering my face and making the man laugh out loud. My mouth dropped to curse on him and my hand raised itself to grace his face, but right as I was about to strike, the bell sound of the elevator reaching the destined floor sounded and the metallic doors opened widely right in front of us.

  ‘Saved by the bell.’ I whispered, just loud enough for the red-headed male to hear.

 He chuckled ‘Such a sha~aame kitty, don’t you think?’ his voice was dangerously close to my ear, his hot breath falling on my skin and making a wild shiver travel down my spine and into my stomach. He must have noticed, because a low chuckle reached my ears before I literally ejected myself out of that goddamn elevator, placing as much distance between me and him as I could. Like an electric current had hit me right where I was standing; it didn’t help that I was still feeling his golden eyes burning away the skin of my back, neither the puzzled expressions Yoosung and Jumin gave me.

  Focus _____! Focus!

Fishing the key out of my pocket, I promptly shove it in the lock and turn it, opening the door widely in front of the four of us. Hurrying inside, I go straight to the large windows at first to scan my gaze all over the surrounding buildings for any intruders, leaving the men to wander around my room. Jumin stood quietly by the door, folding his hands over his sturdy chest, while Yoosung and Luciel looked all around, one of them looking at the large TV and the other picking up the clothes I had thrown to the floor and inspecting them with a sly smirk on his face.

  ‘Didn’t know you liked see-through clothes that much ______-yeo. I should buy you some more..~’

‘Gimme that, you damned hacker!’ I exclaim, grabbing my blouse off Luciel’s hands, before walking over to my open luggage and throwing it unceremoniously inside.

  ‘How do you know this place is safe ______? It seems rather… peculiarly rundown to me.’ Jumin spoke up, looking all around him curiously; simple old technology appliances surely drew his attention and the man walked up to them before leaning in to examine them the best he could. He seemed utterly out of place inside the small, run down room while he wore his expensive tailored suit.

  ‘It seems fine to me! You haven’t been in a hotel like this before Jumin?’ Yoosung asked kindly, as I plopped my luggage on the soft bed and Luciel dropped a few more of my clothes inside.

  ‘I haven’t been in anything that has less than five stars.’ The older man admits.

‘Well, if I wanted to keep a low profile, I couldn’t exactly choose a high-profile hotel; it would draw too much attention and with the kidnapping and all, we can’t risk that.’ I admit solemnly.

  ‘Still, it would provide more security guards.’

‘And more cameras to hack into. The hacker of Mint Eye is quite skilled; they wouldn’t last even a day and _____’s safety would be compromised.’ Luciel simply says, turning to look at Jumin who only scoffs.

  ‘He doesn’t know that ______ is here; this is the whole point: nobody knows you are here and nobody ever will. After MC is safely back, all of them are going down. Isn’t that right Luciel?’ Jumin turns to look at Luciel, who straightens his posture and grins.

  ‘I’ll have all the necessary info by then and we’ll hand them over gift-wrapped.’ He grins dangerously.

  ‘V is still nowhere to be found, is he not? I always knew he was a good for nothing.’ Yoosung steps up next to Jumin, his violet eyes filling with anger ‘I told Rika he was not to be trusted and here we’re now, with MC in danger and V nowhere to be found.’

  ‘V would do no such thing. It is foolish of you to say that.’ Jumin reprimands the younger man seriously.

‘Yet we don’t know where he is or have any contact with him in over a few weeks..’ Luciel admits with a nod of his shoulders.

  ‘We’ll look into it when the time comes. But for now, we have different matters to attend to and my childhood friend’s absence can wait.’

  ‘I’m sorry’ I interrupt Jumin and all three men turn to look at the puzzled me ‘Who is V and what does he have to do with you?’ I ask, closing the luggage and pulling the zipper.

  In response, Luciel sighs ‘V used to be RFA’s leader. He and our late friend Rika were the ones to create it; Rika committed suicide three years ago and apparently V has disappeared around the time MC was abducted.’

  My mouth falls open in shock ‘You know this makes things all too complicated right? He knows all your addresses, your phone numbers, your full names, e v e r y t h i n g. For all we know, Mint Eye might have gotten him as well and is able to be at your houses right as we speak!!’

  Jumin nods coldly ‘This is why we changed everything. Luciel changed our legal documents and online data of the messenger we use and I made sure all of the members changed houses and had security enforced around their places. We made sure they wouldn’t be able to track us at any point.’

 ‘Jumin-nim, he k n o w s all of you. You’re in greater danger than you think! They might already be tailing your every move!’ I exclaim.

 ‘See I told you that _____ would already-‘

  Whatever Yoosung was saying was promptly drowned away inside the vast spaces of my mind when a certain glow drew my eyes to nail themselves on his chest.

    It was strange; my eyes were drawn by a bright red spot on his chest area, which could be caused by the bright lights of my room. But, Yoosung was not wearing any red buttons on his shirt, which would cause the iridescence to erupt and to add to all the peculiar things, the red dot not only continued to exist on his blue shirt but actually moved to point straight where Yoosung’s heart was resting. The blond man seemed to be completely oblivious to it, as well as the other two men surrounding him; they all appeared too engulfed into their heated conversation to notice such a petty thing like that, but I had. It only took me a single second to realize what on bloody earth that red dot was.

 One single second.

  Immediately, I felt all blood leave my face and my heart to come in a complete stop inside my chest. Cold sweat bathed me from head to toe and the various conversations around me seemed nothing more than a simple buzz. In a split second, I realized what was happening and my most primordial instincts kicked in; they had been dormant for quite a while now, all those years that I was hiding away, but in an emergency like this one, they appeared to be working excellently. It took me only a moment to inhale; it took me a single moment to decide what to do, for my mouth to fall open and for my muscles to move, ejecting me forward with all their power.

  ‘EVERYBODY GET DOWN!!!’ 

 My body came in hard contact with Yoosung’s, all the extra weight making the young man lose his balance and make both of us hit the floor hard, just in time that the first bullet broke the glass and nailed itself on the door of my hotel room, exactly where Yoosung was standing a few seconds earlier. I practically felt it splitting the air in half above my body, passing just a few inches away from both of us. Immediately, incoherent yells and loud curses reached my ears, as the sound of a rain of bullets manages to penetrate the glass windows mercilessly, hitting every possible surface inside the room. The TV above us shatters and the wall on our left fills with bullet holes; the glass windows give out under the constant assault and finally break into millions of pieces, falling on the floor unceremoniously and shining under the bright lights, a cacophony of sounds splitting my ears. Yoosung was screaming under me, his hands covering his ears in order to spare them from the mayhem, while I cursed as loudly as I could, trying to move myself in order to avoid throwing my full body weight on Yoosung; out of the corner of my eyes I could see Jumin laying on the floor chest down, his silver eyes filled with anger and his lips pressing together in dismay; he was staring off into the far distance, probably towards the direction the bullets came. At that point, I felt a warm hand on my ankle and turning, I saw Luciel mouthing to me if I was okay.

  ‘WE NEED TO GET OUT OF HERE!’

  ‘I’LL OPEN THE DOOR, KEEP YOUR HEADS DOWN!’ Luciel yelled in response.

 Raising his head just enough to enable his hands to touch the floor, the red-headed man pushes his glasses further up his nose and starts crawling his way furiously towards the door. All around him, the bullets are falling like rain, making various objects hit the floor in a mayhem of debris and broken wood; making sure Yoosung was unharmed, I turn my gaze towards the windows only to see bright gleams of light coming from the building opposite to us, exactly where the bullets were originating. They had found us already; seems like things were far worse than I had imagined.

  A loud cracking sound resonates through the room and Luciel manages to open the door widely, allowing us a means to escape this hellhole. Screaming to Jumin to get out first, I advice Yoosung to turn on his belly and start crawling on the floor, keeping his head as close to the ground as possible; the young man obeys with tears of utter fear in his eyes but doesn’t move until my hand is close to him. Grabbing it, he makes sure I was following close behind him before making our way towards the door, as quickly and cautiously as we could. Luciel’s worried golden eyes were nailed on us, but upon my nod that we’re okay, he moves out of the door, with us hot on his tracks. My heart pounded extremely hard against my chest; it felt as if it was about to jump out and roll on the floor, filled with fear and horror upon the realization that my hands were sweaty and I was gliding on the floor, unable to move as fast as I could without raising my head.

 Yoosung screamed to me something, but his words were lost in the noise of the crossfire.

The way to the door seemed to last forever; like time stopped all around us, the way out seemed to be so far away that dread made its way inside my heart, filling it with a sense of despair and horror.

  That was, until two sturdy hands grabbed me hard by the shoulders and pulled me to the side safely.

 Someone pulled me against a sturdy and warm chest, his hands wrapping around my belly to make sure I wasn’t going to fall down. Confusion filled my mind, making me pause for a split second, unable to move a single muscle until Luciel’s warm breath fell in my ear calmly.

  ‘Shhhh, I got you ______. We’ve got to move fast; we’re not safe yet.’ He murmured, placing a hand under my chin and forcing me to turn and look inside his golden eyes, which were looking back at me steadily.

  He was right; we had to move fast.

‘Yoosung is hurt!’ Jumin’s voice broke me out of my stupor and turning, I saw him helping Yoosung stand up with a sturdy hand around the boy’s shoulders. Yoosung’s right arm was hanging lifelessly on his sides and his white sleeve was already turning into a luxurious burgundy red color; all blood had drained itself from Yoosung’s face and the smell of rust and salt was filling the air. It made me wake up with a start.

  Pulling my blouse over my head, I rushed to their side and placed the piece of clothing on Yoosung’s wound, applying as much pressure as I could. My simple tank top didn’t protect me from the cold, but right now, I could barely think of anything else other than Yoosung’s treatment.

  ‘Keep it there Yoosung, press it as hard as you can and I’ll treat it when we’re somewhere safe.’ I instructed.

‘Y-yes, thank you _____.’ The boy whispered, obviously weakened by his bleeding.

‘______!’ Luciel drew my attention and turning, I saw the man pointing worriedly towards the elevator ‘Someone is coming up! We need to hurry.’

  ‘There’s a staircase over there.’ Jumin pointed towards a door in the back with his head.

 ‘Let’s go! Hurry, hurry!!!’

  Grabbing Yoosung’s side carefully, I helped Jumin lead him over towards the staircase, all at the same time that Luciel was checking the staircase for any foes and I kept my mind on the coming elevator. Yoosung moaned from the pain coming from his wound –it was obvious by the amount of blood, that the bullet had gone straight through-  but kept trying to walk as fast as he could, leaning mostly on Jumin. All of them were trying to move fast, realizing the dangerous situation we’re in. So the moment we passed the double doors of the staircase and started descending them, I paused for a moment. Grabbing a forgotten broom from the side of the door, I close them both up before blocking the way with the broom, pressing it hard against both surfaces and effectively rendering it unable to be opened from the other side.

  ‘Jumin, call your driver immediately and tell him to bring the car in the back. He’ll have to leave it there for us and blend in with the crowds so he won’t be spotted.’ Luciel instructed Jumin as he went to help him with Yoosung, with the raven haired man immediately nodding and fishing his phone out of the pocket and bringing it on his ear, he started talking.

  ‘Are you sure we shouldn’t take him with us?’ I asked and Luciel turned to look at me seriously.

‘Driver Kim knows about these kinds of situations; that and also, I’ll be the one driving.’ He winked deviously.

In his words, I rolled my eyes ‘If the bullets don’t kill us, it’ll be your driving skills.’

‘Ouch! You hurt my feelings kitty.’ He chuckled and pretended to be wounded by throwing a mocking hand over his chest.

 ‘You’ll survive Seven.’ I simply threw at him.

  Reaching the very last floor, we were just coming down from the last set of stairs when we heard the staircase door I had blocked, burst open and angry voices filled the place up, urging us to go faster. Practically shoving ourselves unceremoniously out of the building, we immediately discover Jumin’s car waiting for us just outside. True to his word, driver Kim had disappeared out of our sight, so Luciel didn’t hesitate with jumping on the driver’s seat. Jumin helped Yoosung get in the back before going in himself and I chose the passenger’s seat.

  ‘Seat belts.’ Luciel laconically instructed and all of us obeyed in a second and he turned the engine on with a roar ‘It’s going to be a bumpy ride~!’

  Without any other warning, Luciel stepped on the accelerator with everything he had.

   The car ejected itself backwards, just in time that the hotel’s back door opened and strange people wearing white robes and cloaks came rushing out, but Luciel had already darted the car into the oncoming traffic. From the corner of my eyes, I saw him clench his jaw and turn the steering wheel hastily, turning the car and avoiding the men who drew out their guns, for mere millimeters. Leaving everything behind, I grab myself from the holder and dart my gaze around for any oncoming foes that might be following us, scanning whatever corner my eyes could lie upon. For now, only the honking of the irritated normal drivers along the road was heard as Luciel evaded the oncoming traffic skillfully and hastily, passing them with such speed, that most of them could not see him coming. Taking an abrupt turn to the left, he hits the brakes before flooring the accelerator once again, driving us into a rather crowded highway.

  It was in that single turn that I saw them.

 My heart literally sank inside my chest as in the bright lights of the city, I saw five motorcycles evading the traffic fast and making their way towards us threatenly. All of them were dressed in black –rather top choice for enemies in real life as well, I noted ironically- and from the mirror I could see them carrying heavy guns.

  ‘Incoming baddies at six o’ clock.’ I said out loud, turning my head to look towards the back to better make out their distance.

  ‘I’ve seen them already.’ Luciel said ‘Jumin, does this car have bulletproof windows?’

  ‘W-what?! More bullets?!’ Yoosung muttered but was quickly interrupted by Jumin.

‘Of course. It’s an impenetrable fortress.’ The older man noted.

  ‘Perfect; we’ll pull this gem to its limits. Brace yourselves, things will get tough.’ I warn them and before I had the chance to finish my sentence, I saw the guns being raised and a rain of bullets grazed the car mercilessly.

  Yoosung screamed loudly, lowering his head and trying to push himself as down as he could, while Jumin cursed right beside him rather heavily. My breath was caught inside my lungs as Luciel made a sharp evasive maneuver, passing on the opposite lane in order to avoid them the best he could. Many cars honked angrily and stirred themselves out of his way, towards any possible and safe direction, and I turned in the front once again to steady myself; before I had the chance to take a single breath through, my attention was drawn to a flash of total black on my right. I didn’t need to turn my head towards it to see that a motorbike had actually caught up to us and the back passenger was now raising a semi-automatic Uzi gun and pointing it straight to my head.

   ‘BADDIES AT THREE O’ CLOCK!’ I scream, my heart coming to a complete stop inside my chest.

‘GOT THE FUCKER!’ Luciel screams and turns the wheel sharply.

  The car protested hard under us, but nonetheless swerved to the side harshly. It was too fast for the driver of the bike to be able to avoid and the result was for both of them to be hit straight to their sides. The bike failed to maintain its balance under the heavy force and as a result, was catapulted to the side; it didn’t even have the chance to hit the floor, when an oncoming car hit them hard in the front. I swear I saw both of the people riding it fly in the air and hitting the roof of the car in weird angles that could result into many broken bones- if not much worse. But all of this had led us to lose precious time and the rest of them had somehow managed to catch up on us, circling all around us like vultures ready to launch on their potential prey.

  Luciel cursed heavily and made a rather unexpected U turn, completely turning the car around and hitting another bike that failed to see the sharp movement, with the back side of the car. As we turned, Yoosung screamed again when the car was once again gunned down, but to my utter amazement, the windows held their ground despite starting to crack in many spots. If we didn’t get out of their way and fast, we’re going to have a serious problem and I didn’t have anything to aid us in defending ourselves. Thinking of my forgotten luggage back at the hotel, I cursed to myself and search around us for any potential thing I could use as a weapon. Nothing could be seen and my attention was shortly drawn back to the swerving car, when Luciel made another sharp turn and my head bumped hard on the window on my right. I swore I saw stars dancing before my eyes and my hands flew to cover the pained spot; a low cry left my lips and inside all the mayhem, Luciel asked me loudly if I was okay.

  Damn, that hurt like a little bitch! Plus, I was officially tired of those fuckers.

  ‘How far are we from your house?!’ I asked Luciel sharply, ignoring the constant ringing of my head.

He pressed his lips ‘Just a few blocks away; we can’t go there though if we’ve got them tailing us.’

  ‘Go into the sidewalk right now.’

Obeying my orders, Luciel steered the wheel with a wide move, throwing the car right inside the pedestrian area. People screamed and jumped towards any possible direction, trying to avoid the haywire car, but Luciel had been experienced enough to skillfully maneuver through them without killing anyone. From one of the mirrors, I could see the bikes hot on your tracks and gaining on us rather fast. I pressed my lips in dismay; they were definitely able to be more agile than the huge car we were using, but surely all we needed was to make them lose their balance and it would be end game. So, when one of the bikes neared our back from the right side, another idea popped into my mind.

  ‘JUMIN, WE’LL OWE YOU A CAR!’ I yelled loudly.

‘What do you-‘

‘HIT THE BREAKS LUCIEL.’

 Everything from that point onwards and for a few more minutes seemed to be happening in slow motion. Time seized to exist all around us and right before my eyes, all movements seemed to become steady but slow. The motorbike reached us in no time, with the second passenger once again raising his gun, but he would never have the chance to fire it. The moment Luciel floored the brakes, my hands flew to the switch of the door and turned it; with a loud scream, I kicked the passenger’s door wide open, completely placing it in the way of the bike, which was unable to swerve that fast and avoid it.

   The result was as I expected it.

The bike fell hard on the door. The metallic door broke harshly and the driver lost his balance, catapulting both himself and his passenger out of the bike and towards the front, pulling along with him both the car door and the bike; which fell on the said driver rather hard. Screams of pain and agony reached my ears as I stared at them quite taken aback, but Luciel didn’t share my frozen state. Turning the wheel sharply, he floored the accelerator once again, throwing the now opened car towards a staircase on our right. The huge car fell hard on the stone stairs, bumping hard along the way and I would have practically flown out of the car if it wasn’t for the seatbelt I was wearing.

  ‘I didn’t remember you being that insane ______!’ Luciel exclaimed harshly, as the car hit the pavement and sparks flew from the points the back side hit the floor.

  ‘Getting creative was the only way to get rid of them! Do you have any better ideas?!’

‘YES! Don’t get shot now that the door is gone!’

  ‘They’re closing in on us again!’ Jumin informed us from the back seat.

  ‘Oh, no they won’t!’

  The moment these words left Luciel’s mouth, the man sharply turns the steering wheel with everything he had. The huge car screeches and changes completely direction when its tires stop sliding over the concrete like it was ice and immediately eject us forward, inches away before we crashed on the columns of a nearby building. I could have sworn I saw them almost touch the car in doing so, but before I had the chance to scream bloody murder, we were racing forward again. Still, that didn’t seem to be the same for the two remaining bikes that tailed us. In the sharp movement Luciel did to both save us and turn this bloody car around, they had failed to notice how close he had brought the car to the columns. Thus, they didn’t turn on the correct time themselves. Metal coming in hard contact with concrete reached my ears and turning my head towards the direction of the sound, I saw them nail themselves straight into the wall. One of the people riding them bounced off the wall and fell behind, while the rest of them disappeared inside the columns.

  That was the last I saw of them as Luciel distanced the car from them and shortly after, they disappeared into the distant horizon.

  ‘Better take this chance and get cover.’ I instructed and Luciel turned into an almost completely deserted road on the outskirts of Seoul. Trees and wide fields that were either filled with trash or were completely empty filled my field of vision and right beside me, Luciel seemed to completely relax.

   ‘It’s not too far from my house. We nailed this kitty!’ he exclaims and raises his hand in high-five, which I return with a whole-hearted laugh.

  ‘I’m not as rusty as I though I was.’ I chirped happily ‘Yoosung how are you feeling?’

 ‘F-fine mostly; bit motion sick.’

  ‘It’s to be expected with everything going down.’ Jumin simply nodded his head, utterly collected even under all these strange circumstances.

  ‘Hang on everyone, we’re finally home.’ Luciel chirped as he took a sharp turn and the car started going down a narrow and dark tunnel.

  As if on cue, lights flashed from either side of the walls, illuminating a really narrow and dark road heading further and further inside the ground. Luciel completely relaxed right beside me; his shoulders leaned downwards and his serious expression was replaced by one of pure relaxation. We were finally safe. With a deep sigh, I pass a hand through my (h/l) hair, trying to ease my nerves as well. This was rather hectic; a true welcome back to my old life, I thought bitterly.

  ‘Welcome to my humble home everyone.’ Luciel chuckled as we entered a completely hidden, underground parking lot filled with expensive cars.

  We were finally home.


	5. Chapter 5 Home Sweet Home

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Hey guys and welcome to yet another update! (^w^)/ <3 I really hope you are liking the story so far, please don't hesitate to leave a comment with your thoughts, it always makes my day better and helps me grow as a writer! ^^ Please stay tuned for more, I can only promise more amazing things to come! As always, stay awesome and unique! <3

‘I got you Yoosung, I got you. Lean on us; perfect.’ I say, as both I and Jumin helped a really pale and completely exhausted Yoosung out of the almost demolished car; the poor boy was completely out of breath and by the looks of it, on the verge of emptying his stomach at any given moment.

‘R-remind me n-not to ride a car Seven is driving ever again.’ The blond boy mutters, causing a loud laugh to ring around the huge, well-lit parking lot, coming from the direction Luciel was.

‘You should see me when I’ve run out of Dr. Pepper~!’ he chuckles.

‘In any case, it is rather peculiar that they found us so quickly, don’t you think?’ Jumin’s serious and leveled voice cuts through their bickering, making me swallow hard as Luciel proceeded to greet the door in Arabic and open it for us, as we helped Yoosung towards the safety of the house. Knowing Luciel, I wouldn’t be surprised if the house was an impenetrable fortress once you went inside and the door closed behind you.

In Jumin’s words, the vermillion haired man raises an eyebrow.

‘They must have followed us.’ He observed, helping me out by taking my place in carrying Yoosung, flinging the boy’s hand over his shoulders and pushing me gently aside ‘I checked all of our belongings, there isn’t a single tracking devise hidden anywhere.’

Clicking my tongue, I roll my eyes as I pass the door and hold it open for the three men to pass. Yoosung almost stumbled on the step of the threshold and had it not been for the two men holding him, he would have crushed down unceremoniously. He looked about to pass out from exhaustion and the cloth he’d place over his wounded shoulder was already drenched with ruby red blood.

‘How about we treat Yoosung and worry about these fuckers later? There, place him on the couch.’ I said, pointing towards the only couch in the close vicinity ‘And someone should get me the medic kit.’

Without further stalling, Jumin and Luciel allow Yoosung to sit carefully on the couch, with me hot on their tracks and sitting calmly beside him. Luciel immediately went to bring me the first aid kit, while I gingerly placed my hands over the bloody cloth and removed it just to check on the wound. The moment it was off, Yoosung hissed loudly and closed his purple eyes in pain as I leaned in to get a better look; it was hard to pull his shirt even a little bit in order to have a better view and surely enough, the slightest of movements was enough to make pain flash through Yoosung’s childish characteristics.

‘Don’t move too much Yoosung. I’m going to examine it now, so you might feel a bit of pain for a little bit okay?’ I advice the young man when the first aid kit was beside me.

‘I-I’ll sure try…’ he tried to sound brave but failed miserably as he let out a cry of pain when my hands wrapped around the soft fabric and tore into it, further freeing the wound from the pestering fabric. The downside was that it pained the blond man.

As soon as the wound was under the bright lights, I could see that the blood was still running freely, making the task of stopping it number one on the list of priorities. Grabbing a set of tweezers, I douse them in some alcohol before ever-so-carefully placing them on the wound and pushing it open. Yoosung was clearly trying to do his best in keeping a straight face, but from the constant sniffing I knew he was crying; that and the strong feeling of Luciel’s and Jumin’s eyes burning my back away with intensity did nothing to calm me down.

I gulped hard. Damn I wasn’t used to this. I could mend my wounds, not anyone else’s.

‘Let’s see… The bullet went straight through, which is nice since I won’t have to pull it out-‘

‘WHAT?’ Yoosung choked out, horrified.

‘Relax Yoosung, relax. It only hit your shoulder in the meat, so the bleeding should stop in a few minutes and I’ll be able to patch it up. Thankfully the bullet was only a 357 caliber, so the opening on your back doesn’t require for you to be hospitalized. I’ll have to disinfect it though, which will hurt like a bitch…’ I inform him skeptically and gloomily as I hand him over a piece of gauze that was inside the medical kit; with my other hand, I grab the suddenly menacing looking disinfectant bottle.

Yoosung eyed it worriedly and from the back, I could hear Jumin scoff; even if I wasn’t looking at the two men, I could sense the eye roll.

‘Time to be a man about it Yoosung.’ Seven joked and in response, Yoosung openly glared at him.

Whatever the younger man was about to throw on the redhead was muffled when he promptly shoved the gauze in his mouth. Still glaring daggers at Luciel, his muffled voice could still be heard under the gauze, mumbling profanities and curses towards Luciel, who only loled more at the sight of the defenseless blond. And boy oh boy, how defenseless he was when I did turn the bottle towards his wound and made immediate contact with the liquid. Yoosung immediately jolted backwards on his spot; screaming even louder than what the gauze allowed him to, all the veins and muscles on his neck popping out, turning his white skin just as red as Luciel’s hair. I had to actually sit on his lap and hold him down with my free hand with everything I had in me, trying to restrain him from thrusting left and right with power in order to avoid me and everything that had to do with me. The poor one jolted and screamed even more at the second round of disinfectant, large tears rolling down his purple eyes as he begged me to stop. But I couldn’t stop; he needed a third round of the torturous liquid if we were going to make sure he was not going to have it amputated.

I knew; I knew he regretted ever knowing me right then and there. As the third round of liquid graced his skin, dripping off his gaping wound and staining his clothes with a mixture of alcohol and blood, a choking sound erupted from his lungs, sounding more like a sob rather than a scream. But he didn’t move this time. Sighing deeply, I remove myself from his lap and using the remaining gauzes, I patch him up the best I could. Honestly, his stillness was kind of unnerving to me.

‘You better go and rest up Yoosung. I’ll make something to eat for all of us.’

‘If the bullet didn’t kill you Yoosung, ____-yeo’s cooking will definitely finish the job~!’ Luciel chuckled and patted Yoosung on the head from right behind the couch, where the male moved to have a better look on his friend. Jumin was talking lowly on the phone right next to the front door.

In his snarky comment, my eye twitched ‘Luciel knows best Yoosung. Since he died and came back to haunt and pester us even more. I’ll have you know, nobody beats me in rice curry.’ I snap back at the laughing Luciel, who rolls his eyes exasperatedly.

‘I-I’m going to lie down.’ Yoosung muttered.

‘Go buddy. Either way, we can’t leave this house until tomorrow.’ Seven commented ‘So you are going to sleep with Rich Kid and I’ll sleep with mah princess ______~!’

‘Don’t listen to him Yoosung, I’ll take the couch. Go rest.’

‘But-‘

‘Shut it Luciel Choi.’ I bark with a glare towards the red-head.

In my words, Yoosung simply nodded to show that he understood and walked off towards the direction of the bedrooms, allowing me for the first time since we came here to really look around at the house –scratch that, dumpster bunker- we were in. From the complete lack of windows and the existence of artificial light, it was obvious we were somewhere underground. The living room was sharing its space with the kitchen in a large oblong space, while on the left of the entrance door were a build-in metallic room, separated by a few steps and huge window walls, containing all the computers and hacking devices Luciel needed. Underneath it, there was another door, almost hidden completely by the staircase, which I had no idea where it led. On the right, there was a small hallway that leads to the bathroom and the two bedrooms in the farthest back. The whole place was decorated with traffic lights, empty cans of Dr. Pepper, Honey Buddha Chips and worn out furniture, while the red paint of the walls was in immediate need of some fresh paint and various clothes were tossed all across the floor.

As Yoosung disappeared into the hallway, I sighed deeply and headed towards the kitchen to find something edible to cook for everyone, while Luciel completely tailed behind me like an over-excited dog… kitten…. and Jumin continued to talk with whoever the hell he was talking to on the phone.

‘So, what the hell do we know for that strange organization that is following you?’ I ask, flipping the cupboard closer to me open with a grunt, in search for anything to cook or eat –other than the spiders who ran for their lives at the sight of me- I grabbed a hold of a few canned tomato mush and a few spices.

‘Oh, you mean the cult?’ Luciel’s cheerful voice comes from behind me ‘Just the usual I-want-to-save-the-world-by-purging-it shit mostly. I hacked a little bit into their database, but I couldn’t find anything more than a few info that they want to eradicate pain and fear from the world and bring all of us to an everlasting party that’ll help us reach salvation and happiness. Magenta is the name of their Headquarters and Savior is the name of their leader.’ He simply shrugs as I grab a pack of rice from another cupboard.

‘And you said that they haven’t demanded any kind of ransom. They haven’t contacted you or anything else?’ I ask as I grab a pot and place it over the dusty oven; dear God, he doesn’t clean at all around here? Also, I can swear he lives only in Dr. Pepper and Honey Buddha Chips, since the fridge is also filled with them.

Luciel sighs and passes a hand through his rich vermillion locks, messing them even more ‘No, they haven’t. It’s rather strange to you too, or is it just me?’

‘It is strange.’ I admit turning to look at him while the water boiled, folding my hands over my chest ‘You and me both know this is bad sign number one when it comes to kidnappings. You said she doesn’t have anything to do with them, she is just an ordinary woman from what I’ve seen, no family at all. So what the hell can she offer them?’

‘I don’t know. I honestly don’t. The thing is, she is alive and we have to get her out of there as soon as possible. I doubt that if she is rendered unnecessary, that they’ll be kind enough to return her… in one piece that is.’

I eyed him and it was obvious that the guilt of having someone close to him in such lethal danger was eating him alive from the inside out. If this was five years ago, I would have dropped everything and rushed to that girl’s aid just to wipe it away from his majestic face. I would have dropped logic and ran just to have him smile; but this was not five years ago and I was not the same person as I was back then. Not too much that is. I still deeply cared about that red-headed brat that was more of a well-grown baby than an adult, but nowadays, I couldn’t offer him my own self on a platter as I used to. It was too late and too dangerous for that.

‘It’s a bugger that they probably know you are here as well.’ His voice brings me back to reality and I blink sheepishly, only to find him staring at me with those breathtaking golden eyes that were able to make my heart stop. Underneath the glasses, they shone like two true gems.

‘Don’t beat yourself up too much about that.’ I rush to stir the food, avoiding his gaze in fear that every wall I built these past years would come undone under the intensity of his gaze ‘I didn’t bring much with me and the necessary stuff are thankfully safe in my bag on your couch. I’ll just need to borrow some of your own clothes to wear. And no, not the butler or nun outfits; the dresses and skirts.’

Luciel threw his hands over his heart, like I had just wounded him lethally ‘How can you take my clothes away from me?!’ he cried out theatrically.

‘With the same ease that you stole them from the Agency you are working for. Admit it; you still steal them to cosplay.’ I tease as he whistles like an innocent child, avoiding my gaze as I pulled the food off the oven ‘Either way, they do know someone’s here. It won’t take them too long to guess I’m here to help, so I suggest we move quickly.’

‘Για να μπορέσεις να επιστρέψεις πίσ? στην ήρεμη ζ?ή σου στην Αθήνα? Λίγο βαρετό δεν νομίζεις?’ [So you can return back to your calm life in Athens? A little boring don't you think?] he throws at me in a perfect Greek accent, taking me by surprise.

My eyes widen and my jaw drops on the floor in his words. For a single moment, my brain panicked; Alexandra and mama Helen’s faces passed through my mind and all the possible lethal dangers that could befall on them in the mere knowledge that they were sheltering me for all those years, even if they were oblivious as to who I really was. I would never, N E V E R, forgive myself if something bad was to happen to them; as if by chain reaction, my brain was thrown into guard mode. My fists curled up in two balls ready to strike down God himself and my jaw tightened threatenly. All in a mere second. On the very next second, I realized who I was staring at like a possible threat.

My fists relaxed almost immediately ‘Γιατί δεν μου κάνει καμία απολύτ?ς εντύπ?ση που ήξερες πού ήμουν? Βασικά άστο, θα ήμουν απογοητευμένη αν δεν ήξερες.’ [Why doesn't it surprise me that you know where I was? Don't mid me actually, I'd be rather disappointed if you didn't] I reply dejected and he takes a single step towards me, resting his hand gently on the kitchen table and averting his eyes to any other surface but me.

‘Από την πρώτη κιόλας στιγμή ήξερα πού ήσουν. Μετά από ότι συνέβη και… τον τρόπο που σε φυγάδεψα, ήξερα ότι κάποιος έπρεπε να σβήνει κάθε τόσο και το παραμικρό σου ίχνος. Δεν ήταν εύκολο να σε βρ? –και τα θερμά μου συγχαρητήρια που δεν πήγες εκεί που σε έστελνα. Θα σε είχαν ήδη εντοπίσει. Εδώ εγώ και δυσκολεύτηκα να σε βρ?. Από εκείνη την στιγμή και μετά, φρόντιζα κάθε σου βήμα ακόμη και στον δρόμο να είναι εντελώς αόρατο. Δεν ήθελα να σου συμβεί κάτι, ποτέ δεν ήθελα να είσαι δυστυχισμένη.’ [I knew almost immediately where you were. After what happened... and the way I helped you escape, I knew that somebody had to erase every trace every little while. It's wasn't too easy to find you -and congratulations for not going where i send you. They'd had already found you. Even I had some difficulty to find you. From that momment onward, I made sure all of your steps even on the streets would be invisible. I didn't want anything to happen to you, I never meant for you to be miserable.]

‘Το ξέρ? Luciel. Και σε ευχαριστώ γι’ αυτό, όμ?ς έχεις και εσύ μια ζ?ή να κοιτάξεις. Δεν είναι τα πράγματα όπ?ς ήταν κάποτε.’ I respond, turning my back to him to serve the food. [I know Luciel. And I thank you for that, but you have your own life to look after. Things aren't as they used to be...]

‘…Ίσ?ς…’ [Maybe...]

If he indeed whispered that part or if it was just my imagination, I will never know. Because as soon as I grabbed the plates for Jumin and Yoosung, I darted out of the kitchen like a madwoman chased by some rabid dog. Swallowing hard, I tried to push everything in the back of my mind, all those thoughts that were whispering to me things I would rather much forget for good or possibilities I wanted to explore but couldn’t anymore. These were all in the past; I chanted inside my head, these are stories long forgotten. And they should stay that way.

Jumin thanked me politely when I offered him the food and curiously looked at the plate like it was the first time he was seeing something like that. What the absolute hell, I think I nailed it this time, why is he looking at it so curiously? It’s not breathing or anything is it?

Shaking my head to chase away the pestering thoughts, I navigated myself towards Yoosung’s bedroom in the back, when Jumin took a surprisingly slow spoonful of his food. Having no time to see his reaction, I gently knock on the door and turning the doorknob, I enter the dimly lit room, finding Yoosung groggy from the deep sleep I had just woke him up from. He thanked me for the food and confessed he was feeling a lot better; checking his bandages, I was happy to notice the bleeding had finally stopped. So with a soft smile for the little boy, I leave him to rest a little bit more. Going back to the living room, I found Luciel already on his computer, his own plate with food resting full beside him.

Grabbing a plate, my stomach growled with anticipation as I plopped myself on the couch right next to Jumin and started eating.

Thankfully for me, Jumin was a man of few words. He allowed me to dine in relative silence and only spoke when he excused himself for the night, heading to the bedroom and leaving me and Luciel completely alone. It was the first time that I was struck with the tiredness following the earlier events. The trip here, the information, the chase outside the hotel; it all struck me as physical fatigue right where I was standing, making my eyelids grow heavy and my head lean downwards. In the small room, I could see Luciel’s sturdy back as he was typing furiously at the keyboard. He was murmuring something, but I was too groggy to actually focus on it. Instead, I leaned back and allowed my eyes to close…

…

…..

…..

Movement…

…I was moving….

…

…Someone was carrying me, since my whole body felt as light as a feather and extreme heat was radiated from the surface my head was leaning on…

…

… I touched a soft surface and the heat abandoned me rather cruelly…

…

….And everything went black once again.

 

* ~ * ~ *

 

 

I wasn’t too shocked to find out where I truly was the next morning.

Sleep started abandoning my refreshed self, as my consciousness slowly but steadily stirred and brought me forward to awake. A deep sigh left my lips and my eyes opened ever-so-slowly; greeted by the almost complete darkness, I struggled to understand if it was day or night outside. The light coming from under the door didn’t help me at all, since I knew it was not coming from a window, but as I turned, I saw a nearby alarm clock shining with bright red letters. 08.30.

It was still too early, so turning on my side, I tried to will myself back to the sweet embrace of the first calm and relaxing sleep I ever had in five years. Alas, my eyes did me no favors of remaining closed and my mind steadily denied further prolonging my laziness for the day. With a murmur of discomfort and a sigh, I finally open my eyes back up, trying to get them as soon as possible adjusted to the extremely faint light provided. As for the surprise, it didn’t creep up to me since I knew all too well this must be Luciel’s bed. The redheaded man as usual would rather go through a whole week without sleep than to let me sleep on the sofa, like he used to do in the past days. He was one to never give up on a habit, I thought to myself with a sigh, running my hand through my hair. If he still continued to be the man I knew he was, the responsibility of keeping us both alive would unfortunately befall upon me, both literally and figuratively.

Throwing my feet to the side, I get off the bed with a loud crack eliciting from my spine as I stretched; this was going to be a long day, I would bet my life to it.

Leaving the safe haven of the bedroom, I found the hallway and the rest of the bunker in utter silence. Nothing had moved from the spots we had left them yesterday night, so I guessed neither Yoosung nor Jumin were up yet. Which was only normal, considering that after yesterday’s events, everybody needed some rest. I found Luciel sleeping soundly on the comfortable sofa of the living room, his lips half open and inhaling calmly. His messy red hair were almost luminescent even under the complete lack of bright light, while his sturdy shoulders and chest rose and fell, following the pattern of his calm breathing. He had thrown a hand over his eyes and he was clinging to his blanket for dear life.

Venturing around the room as silently as I could in order not to wake him up –he was an extremely light sleeper, I managed to locate his agent wardrobe on a small door beside his computer room and grabbed for myself the most casual clothes I could find, avoiding the extravagant ones like the plague. Since I didn’t have any clothes of my own, they should be enough for now and surely, Luciel wouldn’t miss them; I doubted he would be called in any mission that would require him dressing as a woman anytime soon.

So with the clothes on one hand, I slipped inside the bathroom and promptly locked the door behind me, before stripping and entering the shower. The warm water was in the perfect pressure, managing to warm up my cold body in a matter of seconds; rich, luxurious steam started arising and fogged the glass walls, tempting me to draw on it; instead of giving in to the temptation, I grabbed the first shampoo I could find and started cleaning my hair with a hum, shoving my head under the water. I would have to get some clothes at some point in the future; now that the fuckers had mine, I was in desperate need for some when all this fiasco with the kidnapping is over. Which would soon be over, since I highly doubt they would keep her alive for much longer; which only meant, I would have to dust my fighting skills once again and rush to her rescue. Honestly speaking, even if I had nothing to do with her or all those people Luciel associated with, killing innocents was simply not my cup of tea in any way. But I should worry about that later.

Coming out of the shower, I dry myself and my hair in a towel and dress up hastily, making sure that my clothes were perfect ; pulling my hair up in a ponytail, I pass them through the baseball cap I had grabbed off the wardrobe, matching it with a pair of spectacle glasses as well. It was not one of my best disguises, since you could still tell it was me from up close, but even this level of concealment would suffice for now. You never really knew who was watching and if they discovered me, changing planets might be the only way to get away. If not more…

Alas, I had to go out in order to do some groceries, since not all of us lived exclusively in Honey Buddha Chips and Dr. Pepper. I’m rolling my eyes to you Seven!

Venturing out of the house, I was surprised to discover that it wasn’t too far out of the city as I firstly thought. Quite the opposite actually, it was just hidden around in a long forgotten alleyway, on a street you would normally avoid if you had no chores to do around here. A stray cat or two were eating from a nearby dumpster and the sunlight was refused access to the narrow alley due to the high buildings surrounding it.

Ducking my head carefully and shoving my hands into my pockets, I start walking though the narrow alleyways until I take a sharp turn and throw myself in the middle of traffic. The huge highways of Seoul were filled with people and traffic, all of them walking like one single machine towards one direction or the other. People of all ages were pacing the sidewalk, with small children hanging by their parent’s hands or chirping and skidding down the sidewalk along with their friends. Playful yells and constant honking were littering the air, making you feel like you were a part of the whole universe, part of the group called humanity; it was a fulfilling feeling, one that chased away all loneliness from inside your heart and allowed happiness to bloom inside. While you were with them, no problems seemed too big to handle.

Freezing and soft, the gentle breeze was enveloping me from every corner, making me both shudder, even if the sun was shining bright in the clear sky, having succeeded the rainy weather of yesterday. The rich aroma of coffee and various foods being cooked on the street was making my stomach growl like a dying whale in anticipation of something sweet to eat, but as I entered the huge supermarket, my thoughts were drowned by the task at hand. One hour later and four bags filled with groceries in each hand, I exited the huge place and started off towards the direction the house was. By now, everyone would be awake and probably Luciel would already be looking for me, since I forgot to leave him a note with where I was going. Oh, god, he was going to nag non-stop now, so I better brace myself for the collision.

I was just passing by a nearby narrow alleyway, when out of the corner of my eye, I caught a glimpse of something moving followed by the sound of a car engine being turned off. Automatically, curiosity filled my mind and my head turned towards the movement by itself, catching a full gaze into a spectacle that managed to shake me to the core. My breath hitched inside my lungs and my body completely froze in place, all danger alerts deciding it was the perfect time to sing me the song of their people. From the outside I was stone cold; from the inside hell was breaking loose.

There, a few meters away from me, was a normal alleyway like the one Seven’s house was located in. A few dumpsters here and there, a few debris and just a little bit of dirt in the corners where enough to make you avoid it if you had no plans on throwing anything away. Only that this alleyway was a shelter for numerous homeless people; they were all trying to get themselves as comfortable as they could in their corners, their saggy clothes and tired appearances enhanced under the dirt and heavy clothes they were wearing. Women and men of every age, where either sitting alone in some corner or sharing their space with one or two of their friends, trying to stick together and keep the heat their bodies produced pressed among them in order to warm up. Alas, they were no longer alone in that deserted road.

On the other side of the alleyway, a huge black van had stopped right in the middle of the road. It was almost completely sealed by the shadows had it not been for the huge mint colored eye symbol plastered on the car’s bonnet, a symbol that was as chilling to my racing brain as it was familiar. Before I had the chance to react, the doors of the van opened and out they went five figures, both male and female, wearing what appeared to be black cloaks with golden linings along the sleeves and the very same eye symbol patched on their right shoulders. The hood they apparently had was drawn back, enabling me a full view to their faces which I tried to memorize for future research. Each of them carried two or three bowls filled with food and water; the moment they were out of the car, they all smiled brightly to the homeless people who smiled back weakly and called out for them, thanking them again and again. The cult people rushed to their sides, all smiling and whispering words of encouragement as they distributed the food.

‘Thank you! Thank you so much!’ a homeless woman cried out, raising her hands to take the bowl of food.

‘It’s nothing my dear. For eternal paradise.’

‘Bless you all! Bless your Saviour!’

‘Our Saviour will be pleased to see you are doing well, madam. For eternal paradise.’

‘For Magenta!’

For a single moment, I decided to approach them all. In a single heartbeat, in the single second it took my well-trained brain to completely restart from the beginning, ridding me from all the fears and throwing me into spy-mode that had been long ago dormant, I decided to approach them. I was going to say that I had bought all these stuff for the homeless, playing the innocent role of the weak-hearted damsel that is simply dying to do good and curiously ask them who they were, if they also fed the homeless and stuff like that, trying to fish out as much info as I can. I may not be as good as Seven in interrogating, but at least that far I could manage on my own. And I would have.

Had it not been for the man that exited the coal black van last.

Lazily stepping out of the car as if he owned the fucking place, he appeared as if he couldn’t care less about what was happening all around him. He was tall, probably the exact same height as Seven, with a slightly leaner stature than the red-headed hacker. What stood out on him was his stunning, snow white hair with just a tint of pink staining the edges of his locks, falling just a little bit under his earlobes; scruffy and protruding towards any possible direction. From where I stood, I was unable to see his eyes, but his mouth was covered by a black mouthpiece that prevented his characteristics from showing and enabling recognition. His attire consisted of black leather pants and jacket, a red tunic covering his chest and an edgy looking double choker wrapped around his neck. Along with his arrogant attitude that screamed murder and violence, he was not the guy you’d like to go up against at any time; literally. His gaze seemed to wander over the rest of the people, standing on no one in particular.

Thankfully for me.

Because that dangerous looking guy was the very same one that kidnapped MC; the image of him looking straight at the camera flashed over my eyes.

And he probably was the one leading the attack yesterday.

Swallowing hard, I push back all the internal screams and plans to escape, trying as calmly as possible to resume my way as if nothing had happened at all.

No, nothing.

It was right then, when the sound of something being ripped reached my ears and my heart completely stopped.


	6. Chapter 6 Speeding Time

Hearing the shopping bag being ripped, my heart came to a complete stop inside of my ribcage, the exact moment my groceries spilled to the floor.

Silence prevailed suddenly all around me, and I didn’t need to look up to know that everybody’s eyes were nailed on me; I could feel them all falling on my skin like miasma, melting away the meat and reaching all the way down to where my soul rested peacefully. From the inside, all alerts inside my mind had long ago sounded; deafening me and making my stomach sink in the pits of hell itself. From the outside, cold sweat dripped down my back, as my lips pressed together in dismay and my head snapped to see the whole destruction of what was once the bag. Thankfully, many of the items contained inside could be saved, but I needed to move fast if I wanted to slip out unnoticed; getting out of their line of vision as soon as possible was the outmost priority since I couldn’t risk getting recognized.

‘Fuuuuuck! Fuck my life, dude..’ I whisper more to myself than to anyone else as I quickly bend down and begin shoving the groceries to the rest of the bags as quickly as I could.

‘Ma’am, do you need some assistance with those?’ a voice called out.

My hand hovered for a single millisecond of a second over a can of food, which I managed to completely conceal at the very last moment by pushing through my frozen state and watching myself in slow motion grab the can like it was my mortal enemy. In response to the voice though, I inhaled a deep breath to calm myself down and steady my shaking voice as much as I could, forcing a rather strained smile to plaster over my face.

‘No, thank you! It’s really kind of you, but I’ve got it covered!’ I picked myself up and waved shyly to them, watching them carefully from the corner of my eyes.

I could see them looking curiously at me, some of them smiling kindly to my embarrassment and others returning to their businesses with simple nods of their heads, acknowledging my foolishness and muttering among themselves about youth these days. Only the white haired man kept staring intensely straight at me, his head tilted to the side like he was looking at something completely odd or difficult to understand, with his eyes calculating and taking in each and every one of my movements. It made my skin crawl in an unpleasant way and that came from someone who had a fair share of meetings with creepy-ass people which didn’t elicit this particular reaction.

Secretly, I gulped hard.

‘Have a nice day!’

Grabbing everything, I literally dart away from that place, almost running with everything I had along the way. Remaining pedestrians moved to the side in the sight of a disheveled, half-crazed girl running with her hands filled with groceries that bounced with every move I made, dangerously threatening to spill out once again. But I didn’t have a single care in the whole wide world if they found me strange or not; all I cared about is getting back to Seven’s bunker without them following me. I could still feel that white-haired man’s eyes bearing into my very soul, creeping me out and making me shiver in such degree, that every now and then I would turn to look back just to make sure he was not following me. Or any of them for that matter.

Though, even under all that stress and anxiety to get as far away from them as I could, my mind and senses started tingling me that something far more was going on. I mean, it’s not every day that some religious cult is going out of her way to feed the homeless; not many cared for those unlucky people, unless it was for recruitment purposes or massive elimination, but I highly doubt they would be able to provide with ample followers in the state they were in… No, something else is going on here and nobody could take it out of my mind. Going out of their way to make sure they eat, in broad daylight, with their black cloaks that seemed to suck in both the air and the sun… Something was amiss here and me and Seven would have to investigate it a little bit more. I’m sure it’s not their first time feeding the homeless, so maybe, just maybe, a hidden camera on some deserted and forgotten street might have caught sight of something shady. We only had to search for it.

Thankfully for me, the fortress door Seven had applied to his threshold, immediately recognized my voice and opened widely right in front of me, allowing me to hurry inside. The moment the warm house air enveloped my body like a sweet and cozy blanket, I slammed the door closed and leaned wearily against it, allowing the groceries to slip from my hands and rest on the floor as I tried my best to regain my composure.

‘What happened to you ______?’ a worried voice broke through my loud thoughts.

Snapping my eyes open, I immediately see none other than Yoosung standing next to the sofa, shirt missing and hand pressing a fresh bandage over his wound. The moment he sees me looking at him, a bright red color that could easily match Seven’s hair explodes over his cheeks and he looks away from me, trying his best to find something to cover himself, reminding me that he was probably too young still and by the looks of it not really comfortable. My mouth fell open to answer him though, as I remembered he had asked me something, the exact same time that Luciel entered the room as well, beaming me with a bright smile and carrying a clean shirt that was obviously for Yoosung.

‘We have a situation.’ I blurt out before I had the chance to control myself.

‘Of course we do! Yoosung’s about to explode with embarrassment. What happened Yoosung~? Are you shyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy? _______-yeo is not a stranger, don’t worry.’ Luciel teases the blond man mercilessly.

‘Stop it Seven! It’s not funny!’ Yoosung throws at him angrily, the blush reaching his ears as he grabs the shirt from Luciel’s hand and tries to cover himself up the best he could.

Luciel grins deviously and I roll my eyes exasperatedly.

‘I ran on Mint Eye along the way, I think Yoosung’s partial nudity can wait the tease Luciel.’ I bite out.

My words could as well as be bullets that shot through both men at the same time. Two set of eyes nail themselves on me, a mixture of emotion flashing past the color of their orbs as they regard me while I gently place the groceries down on a nearby table and return their gaze with my steady own. Luciel is the quicker one among the two of them to collect himself; all those years of agency work and training are not easy to wash off when you are relaxed, so his majestic face turns from playful and cheerful to utterly serious and professional in a single heartbeat. The gold irises fill with the same shadows I remembered and his jaw clenches with power as he silently regards me, unspoken words and warnings passing from me to him and the other way around without the need to be stated verbally. Instinctively, my hands clench into fists. On the other hand though, the innocent stare with the purple color of Yoosung’s eyes is immediately filled with dread and all color is lost from his face, turning him pale white like a ghost.

‘Where were they? What happened?’ Luciel’s agent mode is immediately turned on and the man starts heading towards his computer office without as much as a single word more, leaving me to follow closely behind him obediently. All feelings of fun and games were promptly washed out and the coldness of professionalism and duty were left behind.

‘I was at the market just around the corner, a few blocks away from here, heading north. There was an alleyway were they were feeding the homeless.’ I inform him as he sits unceremoniously on his chair and turn the computers on, proceeding to type away furiously.

‘There must be a street camera that has caught a glimpse of them. How many were they?’ he asks.

‘Probably around six or seven people. Our henchman was among them, the only one who was not wearing a black cloak. They came on a black SUV, with the plates reading CHER-9876.’ Luciel immediately registers the new information I was giving him, the various computer programs racing against time to find what the man was looking for. Luciel’s face had dropped all smiles and this time, a frown was enhancing his seriousness as his glasses gleamed in the screen lights.

‘Was MC with them ______? Did you get a chance to see her maybe?’ Yoosung asks from the other side of Luciel, voice wavering despite the obvious attempts from the younger man to keep it steady.

I nodded ‘No, there was no sign of her at all. The henchman though managed to see me due to some difficulties with the bags, but thanks to my disguise, I don’t think I made them suspicious of me. I got the hell out of Dodgeville before they had the chance to really look at my face.’

‘Good, we don’t need them to recognize you just yet, it would complicate things. Maybe even compromise us.’ Luciel cleverly observed ‘Here, I found the cameras.’

Sure enough, one of the computer screens flashed and various pictures of surveillance cameras appeared on them. Swallowing hard, I gazed upon the videos of myself looking straight into the alleyway where the cult people roamed about feeding everyone. From the looks of it, none of them had come close enough to me in order to see my characteristics clearly, something that was fortunate I thought to myself wearily.

‘The SUV belongs to a man named Andrew Meryweather from England and is actually reported stolen just a few weeks ago from Seoul center, which I found through the serial number on the car’s bumper. The license plate aren’t the real ones; these ones belong to a man named Antone Delacroix who is –rather weirdly- a bar owner that has closed up his business and disappeared a few weeks ago. No missing person report has been filed.’ Luciel informs me and my eyebrows furrow in dismay above my eyes.

‘Run a search if there has been spotting of this particular SUV along town from the time it has been reported stolen, as well as run a test if that weird eye symbol is anywhere else around town. From what I can guess, it’s the logo of the cult who kidnapped MC isn’t it?’ I point at the screen and Luciel and Yoosung nod simultaneously.

Several more programs popped open in front of Luciel, their green letters shining almost ominously against the black background as the man read them aloud.

‘Just a few more sightings around town, mainly on the spots homeless people reside. They do appear to be feeding them and one of them always draws the eye symbol on every place they have been. Buuuut, there are more graffiti symbols like that scattered around town and a few reporters have written articles about them; they call it the ‘Salvation Symbol’ but none of them know what they mean exactly. Where it appears though, poverty and homeless people have decreased in a considerable amount.’ Luciel sighs and turns his golden gaze towards my confused own.

‘What does that mean?’ I ask, turning my gaze from the screens to look at him.

Luciel pushed his glasses further up his nose and sighed deeply before pressing his lips together in dismay, making them form a white, thin line.

‘I believe they are helping the poor ones. Or at least that’s what it seems.’

‘That can’t be good. Like, at all…’ I breathe out and by the look Luciel gave me, neither did he believe it was anything but worrying.

At that point, Yoosung asked Luciel something which I didn’t quite hear, tuning the two men out and letting my own thoughts run wild.

They must be planning something, there must be a reason why they are feeding and helping the poor; if they hadn’t kidnapped MC, I would call it another one of those organizations that try to do good for others, but the reality was a whole lot different. Slowly but steadily, I felt a feeling of heaviness rest deep into the depths of my stomach and the dream of getting out of here easily starting to get further away from my grasp. I only hoped this was not as grand as I was dreading it was. Then things were only bound to get uglier and uglier and by the silence that prevailed all around me, devoid from clever or funny comments coming from Luciel, I knew that he knew it as well… innocent victims were going to get caught in the crossfire and I was hoping in whatever gods were up there that this would come to pass uneventfully. Sighing deeply, I pass a hand through my (h/c) locks. There was absolute importance of getting MC out and away from them as soon as possible; I had a bad feeling about where all this was heading and none of that would ever have a good ending if MC kept being under their claws. All in all, it was rather fortunate I had decided to come along.

‘Did you happen to hold on to my agent gear by any chance Luciel?’ I ask the redhead.

Luciel whistles loudly and leans back on his chair, a Cheshire grin appearing over his characteristics ‘Oh, you wanted that? I used the suit to clean the windows and where have I placed the re-‘

‘Cut it!’ I bark ‘Where the hell are my stuff? You don’t honestly expect me to go fetch MC completely bare do you?’

‘Hmmmm’ Luciel hums in amusement, a certain mischievous glow flashing over the golden of his eyes ‘It would make an interesting spectacle I wouldn’t mind looking to again..’

‘LUCIEL CHOI!’

Throwing his hands up in surrender, Luciel laughs loudly ‘I have them, don’t kill me kitty~! They’re in my closet, sharpened and ready for use. Thought you might need them someday~!’ he winks openly at me.

‘How were you so sure that this would be the case Seven? I went under the radar remember?’ I slowly throw at him, the heaviness in my heart returning tenfold as I saw him continuing to have the smug smile plastered upon his face; it made me want to slap him into tomorrow in order to wipe it off.

‘Oh, my sweet _____. Don’t you forget kitty~’ he turns to look at me, smile fading and eyes penetrating my mind ‘Old habits die hard.’

In response, I swallowed hand and folded my hands in a defensive tone across my chest. Did he really believe I was coming back? No, that can’t be, I was more than clear the last time I saw him that I was out and I would get myself lost inside the vastness of the planet. There was no way I would come back, so I had urged him to forget about me, forget about us and resume his life as if I was never there to begin with. Alas, all these years of denial and forced forgetting and here I am now, once again drawn back to the abyss I was so desperate to get away from. No, this was not going to last for sure, I was back for just a while in order to help him out, a desperate attempt to repay my debt to him and then I would be out and never to see him again in my entire life. He and I had certainly gone through so much, and it did hurt me exactly like the first day I left, but it was for the best of both of us. And that alone was enough driving force to keep me going.

Drawn inside the labyrinth rooms of my mind, I almost failed to hear the small notification noise Luciel’s computer made. Without realizing it, my brain ordered me to look up and towards the direction the sound came from only to see a small notification dot pop up on the screen.

‘Huh? A chatroom notification?’ Yoosung wondered out loud.

‘But I can’t see who logged in…’ Luciel commented as he clicked on the dot, producing another open window linked with a brand new program that looked like a chatroom. There was a new conversation open, but in contrast with the previous ones, no pictures of the members popped up in any way, making it look like it was completely vacant.

‘What’s going on?’ I wondered out loud as Luciel clicked on the conversation.

Immediately, the new chatroom opened right before our eyes and instead of a written message, a video came right up. At first, I didn’t quite figure out what I was looking at to be honest.

The screen was too dark to really make out anything at all, but the sound speakers produced small thrashing and muffled sounds, like the darkness was moving but you couldn’t really see it. My mouth fell open to ask the red-headed, clearly just as confused as me, man right beside me, but before I had the actual chance to do so a small light flickered on and a bit of light illuminated the video. There was a room. It was a dark, completely bereft room made of simple concrete floor and bare walls; at least from the small amount of light that did manage to reach the said walls. There was nothing else, but the muffled noises and the thrashing upped a bit in volume and the camera trembled and moved a bit, as someone picked it up and turned it around. When it settled again, everything seemed to happen in slow motion.

My breath hitched and my mind went completely off, as my eyes widened. Luciel swore heavily right beside me and Yoosung elicited a penetrating squeaking sound that was a mixture of terror and surprise all at the same time. And that was, because as the camera settled once again, a girl made her appearance right in front of us; she was tied up on a simple chair, arms and legs secured with iron vises tightly wrapped and penetrating her skin in a crude way. Her hair was messily falling over her face, fussing almost completely with the rich blood that was cascading her characteristics, while her mouth was harshly gagged, eating away the sides of her mouth and into her cheeks. She was wearing nothing but her bra and panties and her frantic thrashing forced more blood to come forward from the places she was tied down. I knew; I knew all too well that it must hurt her like hell but she never seemed to seize her frantic vigor, screaming at the camera and looking straight at us; as if she could see us staring right at her and was begging for someone to help her. It didn’t take a genius to recognize the once healthy and smiling girl I had seen just yesterday in pictures. This was MC.

A muffled sob came from Yoosung’s direction.

 _‘Oh my sweet, sweet MC, don’t you want to look presentable in front of your friends? You should smile more.._ ’ a clearly deranged, off camera voice called out to her slyly, altered by some voice alteration machine.

In response, she only seized her struggling and leaned back, closing her eyes and trying to breathe in calmly.

_‘Greetings to the whole R.F.A watching us~!’_

The camera moved again as someone picked her up from where he had placed her and a few blurred seconds later a new face penetrated the field of vision. White hair protruding towards any possible direction. Eyes with obvious dark circles despite the black and white color of the life-feed video we were watching, followed by a mouth covered by a mouthpiece invaded the picture and the deranged man chuckled slyly and crazily. The hitman of Mint Eye himself.

 _‘Oh, I’m so glad to see you all here with me, UNKNOWN, and beloved MC over there~_ ’ the camera briefly turned to the battered girl once again ‘ _Jumin Han, I’m pretty sure you’re enjoying the spectacle; either way it’s not the first time you probably see her tied up right?_ ’ Unknown followed his sly comment with a devious wink.

‘Holy fuuuuuuuck..’ Luciel breathed out beside me.

‘ _As you probably know by now, all of you have been marked as sinners; you don’t deserve salvation but our Saviour wants to give you one single last chance to do the right thing and save your souls. So here is the deal..’_ his voice said sing-song and once again.

Unknown left the camera standing somewhere and started walking up to MC in a rather ominous and threatening way. MC eyed him wearily, suddenly pulling at her restrains and trying to get as far away from him as it was humanely possible; all to no avail though, because from what I could see, the chair she was sitting on was nailed on the floor. The man chuckled darkly and shoving his hand on his pocket, he withdrew something I couldn’t quite see clearly due to the black and white quality video. When the clicking sound reverberated though, my blood ran cold as I saw the flash of metal shining at the faint light. Lazily, the deranged man brought the blade against MC’s neck, waltzing behind her like it was nothing as the girl breathed heavily and eyed both the camera and the blade. Suddenly, as Unknown walked towards her left, his hand moved fast and a scream erupted from MC’s lungs –too muffled to reach my ears as anything other than a squeal- as a rather deep cut appeared over the base of her neck.

‘ _Whoops, my hand slipped._ ’ Unknown chuckled ‘ _I’m betting you want to see her alive don’t you? So here is the fucking deal and you fuckers better listen closely.’_

MC stared straight into the camera, her breath finally even and her glare steely steady. Unknown continued unfazed.

‘ _You liars and traitors will gather up all the information you have about the party guests of every single, pathetic R.F.A party you ever hosted and upload all the files to this messenger. Also, all the money you have made as well as 20 million untraceable dollars and stocks of C &R will be provided when we exchange beloved MC over here. The traitor hacker you have with you will seize all this activities and never bother Mint Eye again. The Saviour is giving you four days to pull this through, or else~’_

Before any of us had the chance to react, Unknown raises his hand and with a sharp move buries the blade deep into MC’s palm. The girl jerks and screams with everything she has, fresh tears running down her eyes as her body convulses and tries its best to ease the pain and I find myself swearing with all the swears I knew in Greek. Unknown breaks into a deranged laugh seemingly completely unfazed by the girl’s scream and walks up to the camera, picking it up and bringing it close to his face.

‘ _Four days. You have four fucking days, or I’ll personally deliver MC in small packages every other day throughout the whole year.’_

With that, the video ended and its place took a giant clock counting backwards.

_96:00:00:00_

Yoosung grabbed a nearby bin and emptied his stomach on it.

_95:59:56:43_


	7. Chapter 7 Old Habits Die Hard

It would be an understatement to say I had a massive headache.

The time was well over seven o’ clock in the afternoon and just nine hours after Unknown uploaded the video with MC in the R.F.A chatroom. To be more specific, we now had 89:56:27:13 and a unanimous alarm had sounded through all the members, who were in an utter state of panic. Currently, we were all gathered in Seven’s bunker, since it was the only place rather secure and sterile from any devises that would be able to compromise out plans and to say all of them were in a state of uproar would be so obvious like saying that water is wet or that the sun is hot. Sighing deeply and passing a hand through my hair, I leaned against the nearest wall, watching them from afar as they threw their own kinds of hissy fits.

Zen was the first one to come here and for such a good-natured man as I had observed, he was absolutely livid with rage. He was swearing like a true sailor, either throwing curses towards Unknown or blaming a rather passive Jumin for not doing something and doing that something fast. Right beside him, Jaehee was in a state of distress; her once perfect hair had lost their composure and a few strands were now protruding towards various directions. She was trying her best to make Zen see reason and stop attacking her –as I learned today- ex boss; her hand was laced through Zen’s elbow and she was trying to make him sit down again. Jumin on the other hand was simply and utterly connecting Zen with a ‘Cairo phone line’ –as Alexandra’s favorite quote was, meaning he was downright ignoring the living hell out of him-, lacing his fingers together, he was staring off into the void while his steel grey eyes were devoid of any human emotion. Poor guy, the only movement he was producing was the every-now-and-then twitch of his eyebrow. I wondered when he was going to lose it, honestly.

On the other side of the living room, Yoosung was definitely as pale as a ghost, having hugged the bin and emptying his stomach every now and then, while Luciel was futilely trying to calm everybody down and be heard; throwing lame jokes every now and then would be rather infuriating in a situation like this, had it not been his self-defense trying to keep him from freaking out like the rest of them.

‘Guys….Guys! W-we need to focus to decide what is going to happe-’

‘IT’S YOUR FAULT FOR NOT PROTECTING HER ENOUGH! WHO KNOWS WHAT THIS FREAK WILL DO TO HER NOW?!’ Zen interrupted Seven, his voice booming inside the house.

‘Zen please calm down, we’ll figure something out!’ Jaehee urges him.

‘I think I’m gonna be sick again..’ Yoosung wobbled back and forth.

‘EVERYBODY SHUT THE FUCK UP BEFORE I WHOOP YOUR SORRY ASSES!’

Dead silence follows my voice and all eyes from every single person inside the room turn to look at me in amazement. Especially Luciel seemed rather thankful I was there. Sighing, I leaned further back onto the wall.

‘Thank you kitty. As I was saying, we’ve got to take measures to protect ourselves as well as MC.’ He rushed to add, since two death-glares were nailed on him and instinctively, the man took a step backwards.

‘There’s not fucking much we can do. We should comply and give them everything they need Seven!’ Zen yelled at his face, his ears acquiring a red tint that came in contrast with his silver hair.

‘That would be foolish from our part.’ Jumin spoke up coldly ‘We would be playing with fire.’

Zen’s irritation only seemed to increase with Jumin words ‘Are you even listening to yourself? This is your fiancée! What a cod mother*cker that you are.’

‘Do you seriously think I’m not thinking about her?’ Jumin’s irritation took the best of him and he glared towards Zen, his silver eyes flashing.

‘Jumin is right Zenny~ We don’t really know if they’ll return MC even if we give them everything they want. And these are some confidential information we’re talking about.’ Seven spoke up thoughtfully, trying his best not to back away under the glare Zen threw at him.

‘So you’re honestly suggesting we do nothing? C’mon man!’ Zen threw his hands in the air and took a few steps around the couch to calm down his nerves even by a little.

‘______, do you happen to have any suggestion about the matter?’ Jaehee’s voice was barely audible, as the beautiful woman pushed her glasses further up her nose, looking at me with an austere yet hopeful stare. She was trying to defuse the situation here and both I and she knew it; if things continued like this, I could clearly foresee a punch in the gut in Zen’s future and I didn’t know who was going to do the honors first; too many candidates were waiting in line.

In response, I fix my gaze steadily to the fuming Zen ‘If we give them what they want, without a proper deal that they’re gonna meet us somewhere to exchange both parties, we’re not in the least sure they won’t take all the info and shoot MC straight in the head. So you better calm yourself down because this is definitely not the time or place to throw a hissy fit.’ I warn him sternly.

Zen was about to protest, but Jaehee elbowed him in the gut, making him close his mouth right back up.

‘To continue, I would advise against giving them what they want. It would be too dangerous Jumin and you know it, both for the sake of your company and for the sake of your person; who would want a boss that embezzles his own company?’

Jumin nods and closes his eyes, inhaling deeply through his nose in order to calm down ‘I suppose you have a plan of action then? I will be fairly surprised if you do not with this kind of attitude.’ he simply says, reading once again straight through me.

‘As a matter of fact, I do.’ I shrug and turn to Luciel seriously ‘I’m gonna need all the information as to where these documents about the guests are stored and I’m going to go take them tonight. When we have everything in our hands and away from their reach, I’m going to go in to retrieve MC. Which is probably going to be tomorrow and I’m gonna need your help. Are you up to it?’

Luciel nods calmly ‘Got it. The documents are all in our previous party coordinator apartment, so one of us will have to take you there; I’ll make sure to lower the security until you leave there. As for your gear, I have everything that you’ll need. Just like good old times kitty~’ he smirks and winks at me, making me frown even deeper and look away in case he got any strange ideas. It was bad as it was already…

Instead, I turn my gaze towards the others ‘Alright folks, who here can drive really fast and preferably rides a motorbike?’

‘That would be me sweetheart’ Zen winks and smiles a dazzling smile, making me chuckle lowly and controlled; apparently, he was trying to contain his anger and smiled, even if his fists were still clenched tightly ‘I’ll get you to Rika’s apartment in no time.’

Nodding, I lean off the wall and into my two feet ‘Excellent. The rest of you can contact the banks and make it look like you want to withdraw money from Jumin’s account. Don’t say how much, simply notify them to be prepared. After tomorrow, everything will be settled and MC safe back with you. I promise you that Jumin.’

This was all I could say to them right now.

As they reverted their gazes from me to look at one another, I could see the desperation flashing over their eyes along with the worry that accompanied someone they hold dear being away and in danger. It was an emotion I had rather grown used to since pretty early, and it was just as easy to pinpoint it on others. All of them were rather worried and silent; all, except Luciel. The red-headed man was simply and calmly looking straight at me, his face unfathomable as his protection mechanisms had slipped into place, rendering him unreadable to others; he was regarding me calmly, arms folded against his sturdy chest that always seemed inviting, and his golden eyes held onto a peaceful and austere serenity that came with years of being a secret agent. If it was any other time, I would simply try to decipher his gaze, find out what he was thinking about, but instead, I simply ducked my head and averted my eyes towards the smiling Zen who was gesturing me towards the exit of the bunker.

‘After you fair lady.’ He winked at me and smiled a dazzling, broad smile, gesturing towards the exit and following me obediently.

My frown didn’t seem to bother him even in the least and the moment we were at the parking lot, he gestured towards the bike in the farthest corner while he fished his keys out of his pockets. The parking was well lit, allowing the light to reflect on the shiny surfaces of Luciel’s cars –all too expensive to be able to drive around without drawing attention- and the scent of humidity was breathed in with each step.

‘So’ Zen’s voice pulled me out of my thoughts and averting my gaze, I find the man looking at me curiously with his ruby orbs ‘How come a nice lady like you be an agent like Seven? I mean… I don’t think it’s actually a female profession- don’t get me wrong there, you are all beautiful and strong, you can do whatever the heck you want.’ He admits, raising his hands up in surrender before I even had the chance to register his words.

‘Gender roles don’t always apply Zen. It’s just a job like being an actor or any other. Slightly more dangerous, but a job nonetheless.’ I admit evenly.

‘Slightly dangerous? Sweetcheeks, I’d never even dare let a woman be even near anything dangerous. You’re too precious not to be protected. Nothing dangerous should be anywhere near you.’ He proclaims, chivalry and pride filling his whole aura.

In response, I chuckled ‘I’m not a damsel-in-distress Zen. I’m usually the dragon rescuing the said damsel though; you should hear the names they call me out there.’

‘Breathtakingly beautiful and with a dazzling smile for a dragon if you ask me; smile a little bit more and the world would be yours for the conquer.’ He smiles dazzling to me, winking deviously.

‘You’re really sweet Zen.’ I laugh and he beams.

‘Only when I’m around beautiful women; can’t help myself.’ He hands me the bike helmet with a shrug ‘Especially those who can deal with Seven without flinching.’ He laughs ‘Can you share your secret?’

‘It’s simpler than it looks really; just buy him endless Honey Buddha chips and Dr. Pepper and then nag to him to eat properly while threatening to throw his stash out the window. Usually works with me.’ I admit ‘Or it used to five years ago.’

‘Never thought of that too be honest. Can’t understand how he eats those things though. I told him not to though; look at my flawless skin and looks! They don’t come with so many carbs in the diet.’ He said, flipping his long hair back and wearing the helmet ‘But we can talk about my amazing looks after we get this through. What do you say I buy you dinner on our way back sweetheart?’

As he mounts his bike and I follow close behind him, wrapping my hands around his waist to secure myself, I hum in approval ‘Doesn’t sound bad at all.’

‘Then hold on tight babe, it’s going to be a fast drive.’

The engine came to life with a wild roar and Zen quickly made his way out of the parking, throwing us both into the dark streets of Seoul.

People were really scarce at this time of the day, not that it was too late, but the penetrating cold was enough to pierce whatever type of clothing you had chosen to wear. Reaching deep down, it found your bones securely hidden and made them shiver wildly; the tremor of your nerves and bones seemed rather everlasting and it was a tough game to manage and keep your teeth from chattering loudly. Rain was fast to cascade the dark clouds surrounding the once starry sky, making me wonder if the cold would aid into turning it successfully into snow; the white and completely unstained flakes were always majestic to look at and it had been quite some time since I had last seen some. The weather in Greece never really helped my dream of a white day come true and I had filed this under the small category of downsides in the otherwise amazing country. Thankfully for me though, Zen’s back could as well as be a moving heat radiator; it chased away some of the cold and as I cling onto him, I found it easier to focus on something other than the howling wind all around me and the penetrating cold.

As we neared downtown though, I could easily see where the people of the grand city had gone off too; each and every cafeteria and restaurant we encountered along the way was insanely stuffed with people who enjoyed their late evening coffees or dinners. A few cars were pulling up around us on the traffic lights and the more we ventured towards the center, the less haunted the city became. I could easily see why Luciel had decided to find a home in the outskirts; it provided the perfect coverage along with peace and quiet for the extravagant man to work in leisure and since he wasn’t the one to go out that often and leave his lair, it was all too reasonable. Still, I can’t help myself from wondering, what he had been doing all these years that we were apart; of course, I’d rather die than ask him directly, yet I couldn’t help that uneasy feeling that my stomach had nurtured. Some habits do die hard; sighing, I shook my head in a chance to get away from my pestering thoughts. Everything was long past the point of me worrying about him; both of us had moved on, we shouldn’t dwell in the past no more… Or at least, that’s what I was hoping for.

Zen eventually came to a stop right in front of a huge apartment building. Looking up, I could see the twenty stories easily towering above me, some windows lightened up and some still dark, standing silent and imposing against the rest of the street. Stepping off the bike, I take my helmet off and almost immediately feel the loss of warmth as I look up towards the huge building.

‘MC’s apartment is on the fourteenth floor babe. Seven will help you with the lock on the door.’ Zen says, taking the helmet off my hands.

I nod ‘Okay. You better wait a few streets away, in case anyone is watching us. I’ll come find you when I get everything we need.’ I advice and take off towards the entrance, hearing the bike come to life and Zen driving it away.

My steps echo like true gunshots as I make my way towards the building, hands shoved inside my jacket, shoulders squared and gaze fixated straight ahead, even if my peripheral vision was searching for someone that stood out from the crowd or possibly looking at me. Finding none, I push the door open with my hip, and walk towards the other side of the narrow hallway, where the elevator was waiting for me patiently. I had purposely avoided touching anything with my hand in case I left any fingerprints on it, so you can only imagine the way I pressed the button for the elevator. Humming a song to myself, I exhale deeply when the iron doors slide open and I enter, pressing the button to my desired floor with a sleeve-covered thumb. The doors slide closed again and relaxing classical music fills the space as I start my ascend, continuing to hum my own song.

A gaze towards the only camera of the elevator and almost immediately, the feeling of being watched washes over me like warm sea water on a hot summer day. A shiver goes down my spine, making my skin crawl yet my mind remains completely still as I return my gaze straight ahead and will my nerves to relax. I know all too well who is watching me right at this moment, so there was no need to be alarmed; it was possible he was watching us both from the moment we exited the bunker.

‘C’mon Luciel, call me, I know you’re watching me.’ I say to no one in particular and as if on cue, my phone goes off inside my pocket.

Fishing it out, I bring it on my ear.

 _‘You always know when I keep an eye on my kitty~ Kudos, little alien.’_ Luciel’s voice greets me from the other line, exceptionally cheerful and happy.

‘Can’t say you were very subtle at it; honestly, if I didn’t know any better, I’d think we’d been discovered thousands of times in the past. Can’t keep away from the temptation now, can you?’ I calmly reply, hearing the man chuckle as I frown.

_‘Can’t really stay away from being your guardian God Seven-Zero-Seven Defender of Kitty Peace! As well as keep my eyes away from your ‘paws and tail’ for too long~ You’ve lost weight from last time I saw you; you should eat better kitty.’_

‘Says the one with Honey Buddha Chips bones and Dr. Pepper as blood; and better defender of Justice keep his hands to himself or I’ll make the spaceship go ‘Kaboom!’!’ I warn him seriously.

_‘Oh, don’t be so forward, I’m shy~’_

‘Since when?!’ I almost yell as the doors of the elevator slide open, unable to control myself as I turn to my right and towards the only door the floor had ‘If I remember correctly, you were always the most forward one.’

 _‘Ahhh, so you do remember kitty. And here I thought that you forgot all that God Seven and Kitty-yeo went through in the past. And all of their details..’_ he whispered lowly in my ear and immediately I realized that he must have planned to corner me from the very first moment he expertly lead me to this particular conversation.

‘The past should remain in the past Seven.’ I mutter slowly, carefully weighting each and every one of my words; my uneasiness did no favors of sparing me and my guts moved unpleasantly. I didn’t want to have this conversation, especially now.

_‘Right, right, whatever you say kitty. We’ve got to save the princess now, don’t we? And with this, the apartment is open.’_

By the time he had finished his sentence, the dial code on the door had clicked and flashed green, allowing the door to open and granding me entrance inside. Pushing the door open and stepping inside, I find myself inside the interior or a rather small but very comfortable apartment. Walking in, you were immediately welcomed by a small space that housed the living room, which consisted solely of a couch –in a dark blue color- and a coffee table. Right behind it stood a rather comfortable looking desk which housed a computer and a chair. On the left, there was a single step that leads to a small kitchen and on the right, there was a small open space and turning again on the right was the bedroom area. Open spaced, large windows and warm colors in various colors, the apartment would be rather perfect for a student or a very busy person who barely had the time to be home, let alone invest on it.

 _‘I’m on your left top up kitty~_ ’ Luciel’s voice managed to tune me in and looking up, I find yet another camera staring straight at me.

‘Please tell me you weren’t stalking poor MC, or I’m sure Jumin will not be happy when I definitely tell him.’ I say as a-matter-of-factly.

‘ _No, no, my eyes are only for you kitty~ meow. It’s just a precaution the previous party coordinator convinced me to install just in case…along with a bomb but this is a-‘_

‘You installed a bomb inside a girl’s apartment?’

_‘Y-yes?’_

‘Jesus Luciel, please tell me this place won’t blow up on my ass!’ I sigh deeply and glare openly at the camera. I could almost see him roll his chair back and raise his hand in surrender with fear.

‘ _Of course not, I deactivated it just in case. It was Rika’s idea in the first place, you know I’m not a cruel man~meow.’_

My eyes widen as I wander further inside the small apartment ‘Wait, the same Rika that we-?’

 _‘Yes. Unfortunately, she passed away a year and a half ago.’_ Luciel informs me, voice grave and serious.

Damn, how many stuff had changed? ‘Cheer up Seven. Don’t think about it too much.’ I allow myself to coo gently on the phone ‘Now, where is the safe with the documents?’

‘ _Ok-meow, you see the closet just beside the bed? When you open it, you’ll find a small safe inside. I’ll open it for you and you’ll find inside two hard drives. Pocket them and get the hell outta there.’_ Luciel instructed me.

Sparing no time, I rush to the closet, flinging it open and searching for the said safe. Throwing out some clothes, mindlessly tossing them to the ground, my fingers brush against a solid and cold surface and sure enough the safe is produced under the pile of clothes. Pulling it up and throwing it on the bed, my ears barely catch the ‘click’ as the door to it opens and shoving my hand inside unceremoniously, I grab the two hard drives from inside. Looking at them, I can’t help but wonder how nowadays these little things can bring down true countries and help the fall of multi-millionaire people of power. But then again, here I was, one of the few many that still used to go after them.

Shoving the drives inside my pockets, I sigh contently.

‘Luciel I got everything we ne-‘

The sound of the elevator doors opening reaches my ears faintly, followed by the unmistakable sound of two pairs of feet coming in hard contact with the floor. All I could feel was my blood run cold inside my veins, like all heat left my body which fell into a state of raw terror and screaming danger that left me there for a solid second, frozen on the spot and unable to think. It had truly been quite a while; the last time I was in this kind of situation, it was at least five years ago and the laid back way of life I had been living in Greece came back to haunt me. And for a good reason. Because as I stood there, blood frozen and mind completely blanked out, it didn’t matter not even for a single moment that my survival alarms were literally screaming in my ears to run, to fight, to FUCKING DO SOMETHING GOD DAMNIT!!! I was frozen to the ground, adrenaline trapping a screaming me muffled and on the exact spot I was standing.

Then, miraculously, two things happened simultaneously, helping me like a deus ex machina to get me to fucking move.

First, it was the sound of people messing with the lock of the door.

Second, it was Luciel’s suddenly warning voice.

 _‘You got company._ ’

In a split second, I was pressing my back against the nearest wall on the right, concealing myself as much as I could from any prying eyes that would scan the room mindlessly. Swallowing hard, I inhale and exhale deeply, pulling the zippers of my pockets up to secure the drives. Blinking slowly, I hear them almost managing to break in.

‘Luciel I’m hanging up. Notify Zen.’

And with that, I hanged up, allowing the watchful man to do his thing as I did mine.

The door opened. Voices filled the small spaces, but my mind was already ringing enough to make me unable to pinpoint what they were saying. Instead, I raised the neck of my turtleneck blouse, pulling it to cover my mouth and nose and effectively concealing my features just enough; I did the same with my sleeves and balled my hands up in fists as I willed myself to focus and listen in. By the voices, it was obvious that the intruders were men. Sliding towards the end of the door, I manage to get a good look at them through the reflection of the glass windows; they were two and were wearing the exact same black robes I had seen the people in the alleyway wear. Their hoods were up, effectively concealing their characteristics and one of them was talking on the phone, while the other one looked around him; they didn’t make a move just yet, obvious by the conversation that they were paging in on where they were and if they had the okay to go ahead and complete this mission. Both where way taller than I was and more muscular; even if I had gone through worse in the past, I had no illusions that this might get ugly if I didn’t act carefully enough, since I had zero weapons on me and maybe they were both armed. I couldn’t see from where I was standing, so it was literally a bet I should take.

Honestly, I was kind of getting angry on how many times I happened to come across this particular cult.

This time it’s going to be fun though.

‘Yes boss, we’ll take the drives and come straight there. I’ll notify you once it’s done.’ The man on the phone spoke and hanged up, turning to look at his associate ‘He says we should hurry. The safe is in the closet and the code is the one she gave us.’

‘Alright, let get this over with and be done with it already. Saviour doesn’t want to be kept waiting.’ The other said and I heard footsteps against the tiled floor.

They were getting closer.

I prepared myself, edging more on the corner of the wall…

Five…..

Four….

Three…

Two..

One.

My heartbeat became one continuous hum the moment I inhale deeply and take a step right in front of the two men, revealing my presence to them and taking them completely by surprise. Giving them zero time to realize what was going on or from where I had come from, my foot detaches from the floor and is violently catapulted against the man closer to me.

With a wild scream, my foot finds him straight in the stomach, landing a blow so fast that he folded in two, giving me the splendid chance to kick him fair and square in the middle of his chest. The man chokes and stumbles a few steps back but still within my reach; raising my hands towards the left, I grab a nearby chair and raising it in the air, I fling it against his head. Hitting him hard, his face turns on the side, giving me just enough time to lean down and with a wild roar erupting from my chest, I struck his legs from under him making him fall unceremoniously down. The man screams even more and raises his hands in front of his face to protect himself, but I have already turned my attention to his comrade; before I leave him though, I grab the nearby bookcase by its sides and pulling it towards me I make it fall on him. He jerks a little bit and a gurgling sound reaches my satisfied ears before he completely stops moving.

His comrade takes a few steps back as I step on the bookcase and pass towards his side, raising my hands in fists right in front of me, preparing to strike him hard.

Without waiting to spare another moment, I try to punch him square in the face, but the motherfucker is faster than me this time. With a wide motion, he turns to the side, blocking my hand with ease and managing to grab it hard while his other hand grabs me by the back on the neck, raising itself on my hair and pulling them hard with everything he had. A piercing scream leaves my lips as I feel some of my hair getting ripped out and in a desperate attempt to get away, I go for the most predictable move: ducking under his protruding hand, I twist myself under it, managing to dislodge myself from his grip and stand right beside him proudly, anger boiling hot inside my veins and painting my vision red. Immediately, my left hand clenches into a fist and ejects against him, but not fast enough, something he exploits by raising his left hand and blocking my own with ease.

That did not mean in any way that I was done with him, as I catapult my left fists against him with a wild roar, alas, he blocks yet again. Pushing my hand upwards, he grabs my other and pulls me in, trying to keep me from moving.

‘You little fucking bitch! I’ll fuck you up.’ He grins a malicious grin, but his attempt to sound cocky is an opportunity I could not let pass that easily.

Steeling myself, I lean as far back as my head could go with a fluid motion, I headbutt him straight on his fugly face, making him scream and swear loudly as he lets go of me and takes a few steps back, hands flying to his aching face in a reflex motion to protect him. To no avail though, because I punch him square in the face with my right and then left hand, clenching my teeth together victoriously.

The next punches find him straight in the gut, making him almost tumble over in pain right in front of me, but in the last minute the fucker blocks with his hand; I try to punch him in the face once more, but all the does is spit a mouthful of blood on my face, exploiting my momentary surprise to grab my hand and have his free one wrap tightly against my neck, blocking my airways with a single tight grip. My mouth falls open yet no sound comes out, as whatever oxygen I had left inside my lungs starts rapidly escaping me. Heart pounding hard against my chest, threatening to literally jump out, I hear him chuckle darkly at his impending victory as my nails dig into his skin but failing to make him bulge.

Shadows start evading my peripheral vision and raw panic starts blooming in my heart, racing through my veins like hot lava and reaching my mind to throw it off guard. In a rare moment of determination, mainly produced by the sheer instinct of survival, I twist myself to the side and raising my right hand I elbow him with everything I had straight in the face; it was all or nothing at this point and I would be damned if I died by the hands of a filthy cultist. Thankfully for me, the man takes the blast full on and all I feel is his grip loosening and air invading my lungs as he steps back; it was a grave mistake the fact he failed to kill me. Because as I regain my focus on the reality around me, raw and uncontrollable anger fills my mind and as if by its own volition, my left leg kicks him straight in the balls. A piercing scream is all I hear, but before I had the chance to react, he charges against me, grabbing me hard by the back, kicking me straight in the gut which knocked all air out of me again and eventually catapults me against the cold kitchen floor, where I fall unceremoniously and remain there for just a mere fragment of a second.

Struggling to regain my breath, my composure.

Damn I became rusty.

A loud scream manages to pierce through the constant ringing in my ears and I barely have time to roll on my back and see him coming straight at me, hands raised and a crazed expression contorting his face in a mast of a monster as a bit of foam comes out of his mouth. Instinctively, my leg kicks him full force straight in the chest and the man tumbles back, giving me enough time to stand up on my own two feet. Then, what followed was as if it happened in a blink of an eye.

I saw the man charging against me once again, eyes fully dilated and teeth showing. My gaze turned and my hang grabbed a strong hold of a random knife in the holder, pulling it out at the moment my legs catapult me against him. My right hand holds on the knife with power and leans back, only for my body to crash against his and the hand to eject forward like an arrow; the man stops and I stop. The smell of sweat and cigars reaches my nose in an unpleasant way, before something else starts invading everything. Copper. Rust. Salt.

The man lets out a small yelp and I feel the kidney piercing under my blade.

I twisted it and the man choked up blood.

All before his eyes closed slowly and he limply fell on the ground.

Breathe in, breathe out. I made it.

The blade falls from my hands and I gaze at the mess I had made with an impassionate stare; it was somebody else’s problem right now. I had to get out of here before their comrades come looking. Sighing deeply, I stuff my hands in my pockets and walk over to the elevator which was thankfully waiting for me. With a blooded sleeve I press the button to the lobby as I feel my phone going off inside my pocket. Reaching out with my hands, I make sure I didn’t get any blood anywhere other than my sleeves before I lower my neckline and fix my hair as if nothing happened. I just had time to look at my phone and see the message Luciel send me as I was reaching the lobby.

_North. Two roads down. Right. Left. ~Meow._

I exited the elevator with my bloodied hands stuffed in my jacket and my head held high. Outside of the building, a small black car with tainted windows awaited and the driver got out, a band with the Mint Eye logo standing out on his arm. He rolled his eyes to himself and passed by me without a single word, allowing me to inwardly let out a sigh of relief as I step off the side walk and make my way straight ahead. Two roads down. It would take him just a bit to find his comrades and call for back up, though I highly doubt the police would get involved. He would probably report a woman leaving the building, but the description wouldn’t be clear since I was rather away and the night was deep. We couldn’t go back to the apartment though, that’s for sure. Absentmindedly, I felt the drives weighting a bit more than they should in my pockets.

The moment I turned right on the deserted and dark road, I broke out into a speed. Rushing with everything I had, I knew the importance of getting the fuck away from here; it didn’t help too much that the stickiness in my hands had started to gross me out.

Thankfully, Zen was already waiting on the bike, helmet in hand and engine on.

‘Hop on babe. Let’s get out of here asap.’ He said as I grabbed the helmet and hopped on.

 

_~84:43:27:19~_


	8. Chapter 8 Hunter’s Season

 Warm water ran through the tap in abundance, filling the place with a sweet jasmine fragrance eliciting from the hand soap, before eventually falling down the drain, a mixture of soap and blood washing away. Looking at it with an impassive stare, I wondered to myself when on earth were my hands going to be completely clean; Zen was waiting for me just outside and I had already spend a good amount of minutes trying my best to clean myself from the cultist’s blood. Thankfully, I had managed to keep Zen from seeing my bloodied hands by simply stuffing them inside my pockets and trying to balance myself on the bike without their assistance.

    It was obvious that my brain was trying desperately to reboot me by throwing me into a limbo state of weird remembrances of the bright red blood running down my fingers and a mixture of other things I had done in the long forgotten past. The whole ride here was barely a mush of images and noises in the back of my mind, making me rather unaware of my surroundings until Zen pulled to a stop and asked me if I was okay. I was….okay I mean; this was nothing compared to the things I had seen in the past, when my dark agent life was at its peak, but truthfully, it had been quite a while since the last time I had done something like that. So I simply nodded to Zen, who only pressed his lips together and declared he was going to treat me into something delicious in order to leave this evening long behind us and I was not allowed to say no. He didn’t ask what had happened; and in a way I was grateful for his discretion and his declaration was something I filed away as part of his character.

  Sighing, I pulled my hands from under the water, closing the tap and drying them off into a few pieces of paper. Raising my gaze up, I looked at myself in the mirror, trying to pinpoint if anything was amiss and fixing my (h/c) a bit before walking out of the bathroom and walking towards the table Zen was sitting at.

  ‘Are you okay sweetheart?’ the handsome male immediately asks, red orbs filled with the shadows of worry and white eyebrows meeting over them.

  I nodded ‘Have been better, cannot lie.’ I fidgeted in my chair.

Zen cursed lowly ‘You look as white as a ghost. Have you eaten anything today?’

  ‘No, no from what I can remember. Too much was going on..’ I admit, passing my cold hand over my face in a desperate attempt to calm my nerves down. On the other hand, Zen did not like my answer at all and nodded promptly to a passing waiter.

  ‘Damn Seven; he made such a fuss with your arrival, I expected him to be a gentleman and treat you like the princess you are.’ He mumbled angrily but smiled broadly to the waiter ‘Two chapchae and gaji namul, sukju namul and gaji bokkeum. And two beers-‘ he turned to me ‘You like beer right?’

   I nodded and the waiter wrote down everything as Zen thanked him and turned his attention back to me, sighing deeply in his turn.

  ‘For an actor, you sure have quite the appetite.’ I tease him smugly, with the man flashing me one of his dazzling smiles.

  ‘The side dishes are all for you; you have to eat well if you’re going to rescue MC babe.’ He winks.

 ‘I can handle myself quite well Zen, I assure you. All those years, I’ve been roaming around; plus, I used to be the one pampering Luciel before he met all of you.’ I chuckle humorlessly, shrugging indifferently.

  Zen leaned heavily back in his chair ‘If you ask me, I don’t know how you made it; the agent life I understand, but taking care of that hacker alien, you must have had your hands full. How did you guys meet? He hasn’t mentioned you before now.’

   ‘Sure he didn’t.’ I simply shrug.

 ‘If it was me, I wouldn’t stop talking about how beautiful and amazing you are. I’d take you out to be honest and treat you like a princess. I’m a gentleman myself, I cannot stand by and not treat a lady how she’s supposed to be treated.’ He smiles flirtingly.

   ‘Are you always this flirty with all girls?’ I tease him deviously.

‘Can you blame me? Women are amazing creatures and must be cherished as such. It’s not my taste to see them treated less than the goddesses they are. But, when I find the one, she’s definitely the center of my world; unfortunately, it’s been a while since the last time.’ he answers honestly.

   I looked at him curiously as I bit down on my chopsticks ‘Really? I thought actors are quite popular with girls.’

Zen can’t help himself but sigh ‘Usually they are. Don’t get me wrong; I have many fans and they are all amazing, alas, I’m too focused on my rehearsals and musicals, I barely have time to help around with R.F.A. let alone date. My gorgeous looks do help, but for now I’m focusing on my plays.’

    Zen was surely a pretty calm and laid-back person, easy to talk to and have him lift your spirits when you were in desperate need for it. I let him talk as much as he wanted, asking questions and answering his own –at least until the point I could without revealing something ‘too much’-, getting to know each other as we ate with our leisure. Honestly, it was refreshing to be around him and his positive, clear as light aura, and although his perfect alabaster Apollo looks were dazzling and breathtaking, I couldn’t really consider him as a date since I would be leaving soon. He talked about how much he loved his job and even went as far to help me out with daily skin-care routines for a flawless skin, to eventually suggesting me a couple of his musicals and I made a mental note to check them out along with Alexandra when I would go back to Greece. If everyone was going to crazy about him, then it would be a nice chance to see him in action, even through the TV. Even if my time here would be brief, it would be nice to see where Zen’s career would take him and have a nice chat from time to time. He was really kind and chivalrous even if he was a flirt.

  Of course, when the time to call it a night came, he downright ignored my every attempt to pay at least half of our meal and discretely passed the bill to the waiter before I had the chance to stop him. Gentleman to the bone I see; no wonder his fans go crazy about him. Even like that, I reached towards my pocket to at least leave a generous tip for the waiter, when I felt my phone go off for a brief moment.

   Wait, did something happen to Seven?

Pulling it out hastily, I unlock the screen and see that an unknown number had sent me a picture.

  I clicked on it.

  Horror froze me on this mere spot I am sitting. My lungs refused to inhale the all-too-needed for survival air and my body released a wild shiver that shot up through my spine and into my brain; one by one, it switched all switches of danger, making a piercing sound erupt from the depths of my brain, commanding me to get on attack mode. My heartbeat became a continuous hum and all blood drained from my body, leaving behind my arms to shake almost violently and my lips half opened in horror.

   Immediately, my head snaps to one side and onto the other, eyes scanning the whole restaurant up and even outside towards the deserted street. Trying to get glimpses of something amiss, trying to see the enemy that was before us and we had no idea of it.

  ‘______? What wrong?’ Zen’s confused voice snaps me out of my trance and when I turn to him, I see him tighten almost immediately.

  ‘We have to get out of here. Now.’ I say and point my phone towards him.

  On the screen of the phone appeared a single photo of me and Zen eating here, in this very restaurant, chatting with each other completely oblivious to our security being compromised. Zen must have said something at that moment and I was laughing a bit on the photo, my face thankfully concealed up to a considerable degree by my hair, preventing exact recognition, with the picture looking like it was taken from right inside the place. Under it, there was a single message.

_~Found you!_

We spared no other moment there.

 Saying some hasty goodbyes to the owners, both the white haired male and I rushed out of the restaurant as quickly as possible, looking all around us to get a glimpse of our ‘stalker’. The street outside was currently rather empty, with only an elderly couple walking on the other side of the road and no sign of anyone that might be looming around for us; or maybe they were looking at us through some of the surrounding buildings, but from the point I was standing, I couldn’t see anything at all. Zen rushes to his bike, the very same time that I drop my phone on the sidewalk, proceeding to stomp on it with all my might in order to render it completely useless and cut any hacker’s attempt to locate us through its signal. Looking up towards Zen who handed me the helmet, I couldn’t help but feel just a tad taken aback from the speed with which they had hacked my phone and located us- it was both unbelievable and terrifying, totally something Luciel must know before I go in to rescue MC tomorrow.

 Sitting behind Zen once again, the bike roars to life and soon enough we’re hitting the road, leaving everything behind. The man doesn’t spare any thought about traffic laws and moves his way through the traffic and streets with nothing but speed; it would only take a fool to not realize the severity of the situation and obeying the laws right now didn’t fall under this category. From behind him, I was in charge of looking whether or not somebody was following us and to my complete surprise, we manage to reach the safety of Luciel’s parking without as much as a single nuisance along the way.

  ‘I’ll walk you to the door and then leave.’ Zen declares as a matter of fact.

‘Zen, nobody is going to kidnap me from here, the place is surrounded by cameras. Don’t worry too much; we’re safe now.’ I reassure him, but the stern look the man gives me is in no way light or convinced, daring me to oppose him in any way.

Instead, he looks at me square in the face, not blinking, not releasing the seriousness of his characteristics; dropping the calm and relaxed façade. He reminded me so much of Jumin right now, it was insane.

  ‘MC was kidnapped from the CEO-in-line’s parking lot. He has security too; I’m walking you up there young lady and there’s nothing you can do to get rid of me until the freaking door opens.’ He simply states.

 Yeap, he definitely has some of Jumin inside him; I note amused. I wonder how he would react if I told him that, since the first time I saw these two together, they weren’t in too much of good terms. Despite that though, I could feel the waves of worry and weariness emanating straight out of his aura; he was rather scared –even if he didn’t want to admit it to himself- about all these things that are going on around here. Cults and hackers and kidnappings are usually not an everyday cup of tea for most people, and since Zen must have only encountered things like that in his plays, I’m quite amazed he is reacting by simply not allowing me to walk anywhere by myself. I would give him that, he was rather calm. So the man politely escorts me towards the huge door of Luciel’s house, pressing for me the button in order to begin the process of identification.

   _-Beep, hello visitor! The password is reciting the favorite verses of ______’s second favorite Greek poem in Greek.-_

  ‘What the hell? This is ridiculous! Hey Seven, open up!’ Zen bangs on the door angrily with his hand, up I stop him.

  ‘No Zen wait! It’ll identify you as an enemy and smite us both to tomorrow if you keep like that.’ I advice the white-haired male and under his surprised stare, I turn decisively towards the door, coughing a little bit on my hand to clear my throat ‘ _Και τους τρέμουνε τών κάμπών οι κιοτήδες και με ονόματα τους κράζουν πονηρά∙ κλέφτες και απελάτεςκαι προδότες, τους μισούν οι βασιλιάδες, κ’ όλοι οι τύραννοι. Κ’ είναι, μέσα στους σκυφτούς, τα παλικάρια. Κ’ είναι, μέσα στους κοιμισμένους, οι στρατιώτες.’ [And they are feared by the cowards in the valleys, who call them by wicked names; thieves and bullies and traitors, the kings hate them, as well as all the tyrants. And there are, inside the stooped ones, the lads. And there are, inside the sleeping ones, the soldiers.]_

   As soon as my last sentence is completed, the door clicks heavily and opens widely right in front of us, with a very puzzled Zen turning his curious gaze towards me, his lips half open in amazement and eyebrows meeting over his red eyes.

  ‘You and Seven are two people filled with wonders. No kidding.’ He simply declares and I shrug indifferently.

 ‘Just a trick here and there, nothing else.’ I smile, thinking what his reaction would be if both I and Luciel went all out; let’s pray it will never come to this.

  Saying our goodbyes in the entrance, I pass the threshold as the tall man makes his way back to his motorbike. Surprisingly, the bunker was well lit, the bright lights illuminating the kitchen and living room area completely and as I scanned the place with my gaze, I found the familiar ball of vermillion hair protruding behind the huge office chair as Luciel worked furiously on his hacking area. Tossing my keys to the table next to the door, I walk over to him, fishing the flash drives from my pockets and gently resting them next to him on the desk as I leaned loosely on it and folded my hands over my chest observing the hacker; he was completely engulfed in what he was doing, golden eyes switching from side to side as he tried his best to follow the greenish codes, fingers typing away furiously and mouth muttering things under his breath, I couldn’t quite make out.

   ‘We had some drawbacks along the way back. Which means I’m gonna need another untraceable phone fast.’ I say sighing and passing a hand gently over my tired features. At last, the fatigue of the day was starting to catch up on me and I felt as if I had collided with a stone wall.

  ‘The bodies were cleared from the apartment kitty and I’m gonna prepare a new phone just for you tommoro~meow. What happened?’ Luciel asks gently, eyes straying from the screen and looking at me with worry flashing over them.

  I swallowed hard ‘They found us eating on a restaurant. It was pretty far away, so my only clue is that they tracked my phone and I promptly got rid of it. Got to admit, I’m a bit rusty.’

  ‘I can always help out with whatever ‘rust’ you have.’ he winks at me deviously and grins as I roll my eyes ‘They’re just too good, so don’t overthink it too much. Tomorrow, we get MC and everything goes back to normal. Defender of Justice 707 promised~!’ he smiles a Cheshire grin as his eyes flash with a glow I couldn’t quite make out. As soon as it appeared, it disappeared completely.

  ‘And I get to go back to my house. Don’t forget that.’ I say coldly and even if his smile remains, his next words send a cold shiver down my spine.

  ‘Are you sure you wanna do that kitty cat?’

‘What do you mean? That was the deal!’ I snap back at him, voice dripping with irritation and heart pounding loudly. Who the fuck did he think he was to make assumptions like that?! Of course I wanted to go back to my home and leave all this behind, I was out of this life and there was no way in hell I would give that up. And if anyone should know that, Luciel should be the one to do so.

 In response, he raises his hands up in surrender ‘I know. But now that you’re back, I want to pass some quality time with my kitty like old times; dress you up, carry you like a princess, run around with you in my hands. Spoil you as much as before; missed my kitty so much.’ He shrugs ‘You can at least stay a few days more; I know you want to.’

  His cat-like devious grin was surely testing my limits into slapping it off his face with all my might. So I return his blazing with an all-too-familiar fire gaze with a cold one of my own, clenching my jaw firmly and standing up proudly. I was not going to be tempted by the human-sized cat hacker and his double words and suggestions; I had a life waiting for me back there and Luciel was part of my past now. A past that I was struggling so hard to forget, so maybe it was a mistake to come here? With his attitude right now, I surely thought so and if I didn’t cut him off now, the sly man would surely find a way to hack into my brain and make me question things. No! I had to push him away for my shake. Which only made the knot in my stomach even worse.

  ‘That is not happening Luciel, so you better take it off your mind.’ I throw at him coldly ‘I brought you the drives, so if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to bed. Someone has to save MC tomorrow.’

  ‘Goodnight my kitty cat~!’ the man says behind me, as I storm my way out and get lost inside the dark corridor that led to the rest of the rooms in the bunker.

   Trying my best to shake away the pestering thoughts, I open the bathroom door and shove myself unceremoniously inside, closing and locking it safely behind. Resting my hands on the huge marble washbasin, I look up to the mirror and see my reflexion steadily looking back at me. I was positively tired; black circles had made their way under my eyes and my skin seemed paler than usual, giving off a sickly aura that was absolutely no good. I couldn’t risk falling into an episode of I-don’t-want-to-leave-my-room-for-the-next-week-or-so since the life of an innocent woman was literally hanging from my fingertips, with the bad-guys waiting with a sharp pair of scissors at hand. Sighing deeply, I pass my hand over my face, pushing the mane I called my hair backwards. Pull yourself together ______. Calm down, everything was going to be okay.

  Stripping from my dirty clothes, I throw them in the basket before entering the shower and turning the faucet on. Hot water was fast to cascade and I fiddled with the switches long enough to make the pressure just perfect. My muscles were a total mess after the showdown with the cult members and I was surprised to find a very large bruise adorning my sides and stomach, making me flinch considerably when I passed my fingers lightly over them. Why the fuck was I so out of shape? I was trying hard to at least keep up my physique when I was in Greece, so why am I that unprepared when it comes to fighting once again? Maybe I needed more training. Either way, I must not make any mistakes tomorrow, or both I and MC will die horrible deaths.

    The shower jell was producing abundant vapors which smelled like lilac and jasmine, reaching high into the air and dipping the bathroom into a weird, foggy mid-light that was blurring your senses with rich aromas bound to help your muscles to relax. Combine them with the warm water and I felt myself turn into putty, skin relaxing and regenerating and mind calming down with the thoughts of an impending doom I would simply not let happen. It was a strange feeling this one; I had quite a while to feel so vulnerable and sure of myself all at the same time, the paradox of the situation enough to throw me off balance. I had to focus and I had to do it fast; thoughts of Luciel were springing up inside my mind and I couldn’t find myself with enough strength to push them away. They were harmless from what I knew, so I did the courtesy of letting them free. He seemed a lot thinner than the last time I saw him; was he feeding himself properly? Hell, who am I kidding, he is the poster guy for unhealthy eating habits yet he never adds weight, something that I find just as troubling as I did before. Then, how where these people, the R.F.A. treating him? Where they harsh? Where they supporting him enough? From what I had seen, they did consider him part of their own…if I’m allowed to say…. Weird family.

  Which was for the best actually. Because I’ll be sure that I’ll be leaving him in good hands when the time to return back would come. Last time I had seen him, he was on a hospital bed unable to move for several weeks. Maybe… just maybe, they were better for him than me. Well, they  _ **surely**_  were better than me the one who…

 No, the past is in the past.

 Shaking my head violently in order to chase away these thoughts, I wrap myself into a towel before I dry my hair hastily and make my way towards the spare bedroom in Luciel’s bunker. Since Yoosung and Jumin had returned to their homes, it was only natural to give Luciel his bed back.

  I had to get some rest since tomorrow is gonna be a long day and even longer night.

  Changing into a comfortable pair of women’s pajamas that only God knew why Luciel had still around, I jump into bed with enough speed to make myself bounce on it. I had blacked out before I even hit the pillow.

 

_~80:52:13:47~_

_Everything around me was going up in flames._

_Bright, strong pillars of fire went up to kiss the wooden ceiling above my head, emitting strong waves of heat that were so excruciatingly strong you could practically feel the skin melting away under their severity and power. It was nauseating and suffocating, since every breath I took inhaled the heat deep into my lungs, a strange mixture of smoke and flames that was destroying me from the inside out. Everything felt scorching hot around me and it wouldn’t take too much until the flames engulfed me completely right here were I am sitting on the strangely cold wooden floor, practically half blind by the strong light and clutching on something I couldn’t quite discern._

_Someone was screaming for me._

_My head turned towards every possible direction, trying to find a way out of this literal hell, but as hot tears cascaded my eyes, I found inside me no strength to release everything and run away. As if by some unseen power, I was bound to my spot, clinging for dear life on the blackened by the smoke thing I was holding, while painful and deep sobs escaped me; my voice was drowned inside my chest a long time ago and the only sounds I could make where these broken howls of pain, similar to those of a wounded animal._

_And the voice, the booming voice that was calling out of me pierced through the flames, yet failed to reach my ears as anything but a murmur, easily ignored by my distressed state._

_I was crying my eyes out. I was crying with everything I had, leaning on the charcoaled figure I was holding in my arms, denying all possible ways out or even acknowledging the pleading voice calling out. All I wanted was to die; for the flames to engulf me and take me where serenity and peacefulness were sure to find me, away from the torture I was enduring right now. A torture that was oh, so incomparable to being burnt alive. So please, please, let Death come for me. Each and every breath is already a struggle on its own. I promise I’ll be good, just take me right here, right now. Take me somewhere were the pain will not be there anymore, when breathing is not a struggle or a torture._

_The charcoal figure I was holding on moved and as if by reflex, my eyes turned on it, only to see it shaking and turning its ugly head towards me. Terror bathed me on the spot. It’s jaw opened._

_‘Run’_

 I was bolted awake by the piercing scream that transcended my dream and brought itself onto reality. Two iron vises were holding me down on the bed with power, trying to restrain me as I thrashed and kicked against it, screaming with all my might and tried to defend myself helplessly. The covers were twisted around me, forming restrains for my limbs and air was knocked out of my lungs as my back arced off the bed and I screamed with all my might, a scream of utter horror and pain.

  ‘______! ______!! KITTY CAT YOU’RE ALRIGHT! I GOT YOU. I GOT YOU!’

   Someone hugged me with power. My lungs released their death grip on my oxygen and allowed me to inhale a deep breath of air that strangely was filled with a rich aroma of honey, butter and just a bit of cherries. I blinked a few times, trying my best to make my brain understand where I was and what I was doing, only to be partly blinded by a sea of disheveled vermillion hair that tickled the side of my face. A heart was pounding hard against me and an extreme heat that was different from the one in my dream engulfed my cold body; instead of being scorching hot, it was soft and pleasant, reaching deep down into my very bone marrow in order to offer me its calming heat. The other heart gently guided my own to calm down and even its beating, sending wave after wave of calmness and serenity across my very existence.

   And it was comforting.

   I will be damned in the darkest and deepest pit of hell, but I couldn’t deny that Luciel’s embrace was the most comforting thing I had experienced in years. His soft skin against my own, laced with small but rough enough scars from all the battles he had won; his soft breath inhaling and exhaling inside my (h/l) hair, grazing my skin and offering a wild shiver to travel down my spine as his hands held onto me for dear life, the very same way a drowned man holds on to his lifejacket. It was wrong I knew; we shouldn’t be doing even this, I shouldn’t be enjoying this, but after that horrible nightmare, couldn’t I allow myself just a simple act as this? It didn’t mean anything; it could be any other man in his place and I would still feel the same. It was the same as when mama Helen waked me up after a nightmare; only that I would be crying hard on her shoulder. Yet I was not crying now; my eyes and cheeks were wet by the tears I had shed while asleep, but I wasn’t crying right now. I was simply breathing, feeling extremely lucky that he was with me… That Luciel was here.

  ‘Calm down kitty, it was just a nightmare…’ his full, silvery voice ringing in my ears in a soothing manner.

It was only then that I realized he was caressing my hair; his sturdy hand went up to touch my head and then ever-so-lightly cascaded down, its warmth and steadiness serving only to relax my nerves. It was so comfortable… like I was being bathed with the purest, warmest water on a cold day.

  Swallowing hard, I tried my best to regain my composure, raising my hands to rest them gently against his back. The touch was light and simple; it didn’t hide anything else but thankfulness inside and just a tiny bit of remaining fear.

  ‘S-Seven….I…’

His hands tightened around me just a bit more ‘I got you ______. I won’t let my kitty get hurt, I promise. Not even by her own nightmares.’ he declared.

  I swallowed hard ‘I’m….I’m fine Seven… It’s okay now.’ my voice was trembling considerably, despite my attempts to keep it as steady as I could.

  After a moment longer, Luciel pulled away from me and for the first time today I could see him clearly. His vermillion hair was more disheveled than usual, stray strands of hair protruding towards any possible direction in a random pattern. His eyes were tiredly looking at me, his glasses a bit crooked over his nose and his dark circles all too eminent under his luxurious golden eyes. He was wearing nothing but a pair of shorts and a black tank top;  it didn’t need long to understand I had probably pulled him out of bed.

  ‘I woke you didn’t I? Sorry about that.’ I apologized honestly but the man only shook his head and smiled.

 ‘Nah~ it’s okay. It’s about time we wake up; we got a damsel in distress for tonight’s menu kitty! Or should I say ~my dragon~!’ he chuckles and leans his tired head on his hand.

‘Hmm, here I was thinking I was the knight.’ I comment lightly, reaching out to mess with his hair a bit.

  ‘Then that makes me your loyal familiar! I should wear my cat ears then~.’ He muses with a smile.

  ‘We’ve got everything we need?’ I ask, adjusting myself a bit better so I could comfortably sit on the bed.

‘Yeah~ cat-mom says he got us everything we need, so the operation will be hosted at his pent house. I get to see my Elly again~’ he smirks and I wondered who this new woman was and why nobody had mentioned her by now, but Luciel continues without sensing my curiosity ‘Cat-mom also has all the gear you’ll be using from now on. I personally made sure he chose the best, since your previous one is no longer usable. Think of it as a gift from trust-fund kid for saving his damsel. I’ll also be there to guide you step by step through the infiltration tonight, so don’t worry your pretty head too much, Defender of Justice God Seven will give you his blessings.’

  ‘You better behave yourself tonight God Seven, because I don’t think Jumin will like it if you mess with him too much. Mission or not, the man is worried so tread carefully.’ I advice him, since I knew him all too well to know he was going to say something a bit inappropriate if things got south at any point. He knew the risks of a mission like this, but that didn’t mean the others did as well.

 Seven moved his hand dismissively ‘I know, I know; no jokes about aliens and such. I’ll behave just for you love.’ He winks at me and stands up ‘How about we get ready? Lunch is waiting for us in the penthouse.’

  ‘Okay, I’ll get ready. Also, please make sure to book me a ticket for Athens after tonight.’

In my words, the man turns into a statue right in front of me, his smile remaining but leaving his golden eyes altogether ‘Will make sure to do so! If that’s what you really want.’

  My head tilts to the side in curiosity ‘Of course it’s what I want Luciel. I want to go home.’

  ‘But you also have a home right here wi-‘

‘No Luciel!’ I cut him off, anger rushing inside my veins as I throw him a threatening glare ‘We talked about this and the deal was to send me back.’ I demand, voice raising a bit in volume as I stand up slowly, ready to face the man and the impending argument that was seemingly fast upon us.

  Luciel tightens his lips into a thin line, but as I braced myself for the inevitable, he surprised me for the first time by beaming me a large smile.

 ‘Alright then. At least now I can drop by to visit you every once in a while.’

  ‘Luciel Choi don’t you dare!’

 ‘TOO LATE!!’ he exclaims with a smile and gives me a hard slap in the butt before running out of the room, hands flailing in the air and feet almost not touching the floor at all, leaving me alone and fuming with rage.

   This was absolutely no good and I know it, alas, with all the things going on right now it was near to impossible to clear things up with my red-headed tormentor. As both of us prepared to leave for Jumin’s house, we were too occupied and consumed by our own thoughts that we didn’t even exchange but a few words as we entered one of Luciel’s expensive cars and drove off towards whatever direction. Leaning my head against the cool window, I allow my thoughts to wonder freely, mostly towards the girl I was about to rescue and less about the hacker beside me. It was the only way to stay focused and not flip my lid and leave everything to chance, which would result into both me and MC getting killed unceremoniously. Still, from the corner of my eye, I could see Luciel carefully keeping his stare straight away in an unnatural manner; completely fixated to the road ahead of us, yet his lips were pressed into a thin line and his hands were almost turning white in the knuckles as he held on to the steering wheel. He must be feeling the very same frustration as I do –if not worse- but I’m really sorry, I cannot help him out this time. In the long run, he would understand… he would…

  ‘So… what was life like back in Greece?’ Seven asks, his golden eyes fleeting towards me as I sit up on my spot and contemplate on it.

  ‘Quiet mostly. The way of life is definitely more relaxed than Seoul and the people are all so welcoming.’ I simply shrug and nod to him as the traffic light turned green.

  ‘Made many friends over there kitty? I wouldn’t be surprised if you’re the star among them.’ he laughs and winks at me.

  ‘Nah, you know me, I’m no social butterfly. Had only my best friend and her circle of other friends to hang out with; mostly I kept to myself even at the university.’ I admit.

 In that last comment, Luciel raises an eyebrow in amazement ‘You went to a university?! What happened to _‘you’re the brainy one, I’m no student material’_  when I tried to convince you to come with me to college?!’

 Rolling my eyes, I chuckled ‘Well, being an agent doesn’t open doors to normal society you know.’ Luciel hums in agreement ‘So I needed something to pass the time and probably ensure me a future I could call comfortable. So I enlisted into University of (your favorite degree) in order to become (favorite job).’

 Luciel hums again ‘_____-yeo, kitty and (your favorite job). Damn, I’m sure you’re hot in a student uniform~’ he comments but shrieks as soon as I poke him in the ribs to get his mind out of the gutter before he started to swoon over the steering wheel.

  ‘Stop making things sound dirty! Perverted cat!’ I demand.

‘Oh c’mon, hit me harder~’ he says and immediately laughs hard when I jolt my hand back as if he burnt me, a luxurious red that could easily match his hair spreading over my face ‘For an agent you still are too innocent.’ He winks and smiles a Cheshire smile ‘Did you travel a bit? I’ve heard Greece has  **t h e b e s t** beaches~!’

 ‘Hmm, lemme see’ I rest my chin on my hand thoughtfully ‘I’ve been to Skiathos and Skopelos; I prefer the latter since it’s more quiet and combines high mountains and crystal clear beaches. Skiathos is more… cosmopolitan. Crete is also quite amazing; more like a miniature of what you can find throughout Greece on a single island. I’ve been to Volos and Pelion for the winter; Pelion is so picturesque around fall and the small villages are a delight to explore- as well as more beaches. When fall comes, almost the whole Pelion mountain turns red from the leaves of the trees that are about to fall; it’s so breathtaking to see it, much more to walk among the trails through the forest. Pelion is actually called the Mountain of the Centaurs.’

  ‘You really like it there don’t you? Did you go alone, or was there a boy with you? I mean, why else would you want to go back so much right?’ he jokes, but my eyes never fail to see his hands tightening around the steering wheel despite the smile.

  My eyes narrow in response ‘No Luciel, there’s no boy. I just want to go home.’ I grit my teeth and glare openly at him as he simply shrugged, trying to play it indifferent.

  ‘C’mon kitty, don’t be shy, we’re grownups now so it’s only natural to have partners. Nothing to be ashamed of~.’ He laughs and smiles a strained smile to me, before making a swift turn towards an underground garage of a huge building which I guessed was Jumin’s. The narrow road was lit only by the headlights of Luciel’s car and right behind us, the opening to the outside world closed heavily by a security door, effectively cutting off any chance of prying eyes. Still, it didn’t feel less threatening with the strangely curious man right beside me who asked questions he himself didn’t want an answer for and surely didn’t take my word for it.

   ‘I said no, there is no boy. I only want to go home Seven. Nothing more, nothing less.’ I say solemnly, trying not to lass out to him and respond like the true adult I was and as the darkness gives its place to the dull lights of the underground garage, I notice two buff security guards waiting for us by the only door around the small garage.

   Luciel pulls the car to a stop in one of the vacant slots with a swift move before turning towards me; the seriousness in his tone making a deep shadow befall over the bright golden of his eyes, highlighted by a small brush of deep sorrow. The man looks at me straight on, no smiles, no jokes. Swallowing hard, I steadily steel myself to calmly and fiercely look back at him; even if I tried my very best to seem cold, for an unknown reason, my hands immediately sweated and my heartbeat became one continuous hum.

  ‘The thing is kitty-yeo, you already have a home right here with me.’ giving me zero time to respond, he flings the car door open and exits.

   Without realizing it my mouth had half opened in awe and as I followed him with my gaze, walking up and greeting the security guards, it was my mind that restarted with a push. Clenching my jaw, I fling the door open and stepping outside, I make my way hastily towards the three men; my heels echoed inside the silence of the garage while my eyes were fixated on Luciel, who only nodded to the security guards to lead the way before locking the car and following along with me obediently.

  The two buff men led us both towards the metallic doors of an elevator, pressing the button and waiting patiently. None of us spoke a single word, the security guards standing proudly around us and Luciel humming a song under his breath right beside me, his whole aura turning playful and happy, betraying no trace of the serious man I had seen back in the car. From my point of view though, I simply found it impossible to take my eyes off of him, my mind unable after a long time to take in all the information it was presented with; was that just a mirage? I had seen him in the past serious and focused but nothing ever even came close in resemblance with the side of him he showed me in the car. And that comes from someone that knew the red-headed hacker even before he learnt how to hack… or what a computer is.

  When the two doors opened and we entered, pressing the button for the top floor, gentle music entered the small space as we ascended. Folding my hands over my chest, I made sure to keep my head leaned downwards, every so often throwing glances to Luciel, who only kept his gaze upwards mumbling the verses of his song to himself. He was literally only a few inches away from me and I don’t really know if it was what he said to me in the car, but I could literally feel the electricity dancing among us in the tight space dividing our bodies. It ran up and down my spine wildly and I tried my best to ignore it, along with the tightness in my stomach. Only when the doors opened up again, did I release the breath I didn’t know I was holding.

  Walking inside Jumin’s apartment was a step to enter hell itself. The huge place was consisted of two vast spaces, with the living room standing right in front of us and the dining room further onto our right, where also was a small hallway leading to the rest of the apartment. Huge ceiling-to-floor windows covered the whole perimeter, allowing the rich and warm sun enter, offering a spectacular view over the entirety of Seoul itself, with no way for any prying eyes to see inside in any way. From the mahogany floor to the crystal chandeliers hanging majestically from the ceiling, the whole area and furniture screamed both luxury and elegance; matching perfectly with Jumin’s personality, I thought to myself. Alas, all the surfaces of the place were covered with a variety of gadgets; from computers, phones, maps, even entire blackboards standing beside the walls; anything you might need in order to create a full-on operation not only to save a person, but possibly conquer an entire nation was inside this very apartment. People were coming and going, some working furiously on the computers, others talking over the phones and others going over some tactics on the blackboards, I knew right then and there that actual Hell might be more calm and silent than this very room.

  ‘Luciel, _____! You’re finally here!’ a sweet voice drew my attention towards the right, and turning, I saw Jaehee walking hastily towards us. Her secretary attire was on point as the first time I saw her and she was holding on to some files; her honey colored eyes stern and serious as they regarded both me and Luciel.

  ‘Jaehee! I didn’t think you’d be here..’ Luciel scratched his neck nervously but Jaehee didn’t mind what he had said at all, simply nodding her head with understanding.

  ‘I may not be mr. Han’s assistant anymore, but my knowledge was vital into helping organize the mission. So I’m helping around.’ She admitted calmly, before turning her gaze to look at me, offering me a small smile ‘Before we send you in ______ we’ll need to run some checks to make sure you’re alright after the incident in the apartment. Also, the medical team will remain here until you return with MC to make sure to treat you if need be.’ She informed me seriously.

  ‘Thank you miss Kang. I think more than me, MC will need enough medical attention.’ I admit with a solemn smile.

  ‘Please, call me Jaehee.’ She smiled a small smile that warmed up her eyes ‘Now, Luciel, mr. Han is waiting for you on the dining room area where your station is going to be. As for you _____, follow me. After the tests we’ll bring you the gear you’ll be using.’ Jaehee turned on her heel and immediately walked off towards the distance, allowing me just a small glimpse over to Luciel who gave me a thumb up before I practically ran behind Jaehee, trying to keep up with her.

   ‘I hope you understand that your role is the key to this entire operation. We expect to have your full cooperation, without any incidents.’ Jaehee said calmly, opening a door to our right and leading me inside the guest bedroom, which was just as luxurious as the rest of the apartment. A huge queen-sized bed was resting in the very middle, while a huge wardrobe was on the left and a small bathroom on the right.

     Sighing deeply, I look at Jaehee’s honey colored eyes with calm decisiveness ‘I know you have no reason to trust me Jaehee, but I’ll do my best to bring MC back. I gave you my word.’

  Jaehee nods, her brown hair moving along with her ‘We don’t really get help from any of Luciel’s acquaintances, let alone know the existence of them. I don’t know you and you don’t know me, but the outburst you had when we first met you didn’t work to your favor. I hope you stay true to your word, because we can’t bear to lose another member.’

  My eyebrows meet over my eyes in confusion ‘What do you mean another member?’ I ask.

  ‘Before MC was taken, R.F.A was struck by two other… misfortunes. As you might recall, the founder of the organization, Rika, committed suicide just two years ago and after a year, our leader V, disappeared without a single trace. He remains missing to this day. So I hope you see now why this is so important.’ She comments seriously.

 ‘Wait… you say V? As in Jihyun Kim the famous photographer?’ I ask. This…this shouldn’t be right. The name…this name…No…

  Confusion must be written all over my face, because Jaehee’s expression changes to one of curiosity ‘Yes, the photographer. Do you know him?’ she asks seriously.

 I nod ‘No…no… I’ve only heard of him as a famous photographer.’ I swallow hard, turning my face away but before Jaehee’s able to question me further, a knock comes from the door interrupting this…strange conversation we were having.

  For the next several hours I had to simply stand there and accept all the medical evaluations the team of doctors had in store for me, all at the same time that my brain was consumed by the conversation I had with Jaehee. It couldn’t be could it? Jihyun Kim, or V was the man that…. From the…. No, it can’t be happening. Why didn’t Luciel tell me anything about it? He knows my thoughts on the matter but why on earth would he keep something like that? And…. just who the hell were this R.F.A? Were they truly that clueless on what was happening or simply withholding the truth from me just so I can go and save MC? Luciel knows, Luciel knows my feelings about this for sure so there is no way the others know as well, since he personally disregarded my warnings from the very beginning all these years back… Yet here we are, with this name coming up again and again no matter wherever I go. Just what the hell is going on here?

   By the time everything was finished, the sun had long ago started his plunge into the distant horizon, painting the few clouds and the sky in a perfect magenta and orange mixtures, making the whole city seem rather dreamlike. I stood in front of the huge wall-window, hands folded over my chest and fully dressed in my uniform and gear, waiting for the time they would call me; leaning my head against the window, I was trying desperately to place two and two together and come to some kind of epiphany, because my gut was telling me that something was going on here and there was no doubt about it. One of the R.F.A members is dead and two of them missing, one of them a man I had mixed thoughts about; elusive and dark, I simply could not understand his motives even when I had first met him. And now he is missing and Luciel is working for the organization he was leading. Why? What is happening over here?

  ‘Kitty-yeo.’ Luciel’s voice snapped me back to reality and turning, I saw the man staring at me calmly from the threshold ‘It’s time.’

  Sighing deeply, I follow him back to the living room, where each and every single person that was running up and down before now waited patiently for my return. Everybody was tense; you could practically inhale the tension and worry hanging from the air like a heavy cloud and as me and Luciel entered the room, a few gasps were heard here and there caused by my appearance. I didn’t worry too much; some of them must have heard of me if they usually dealt with stuff like this. Yet it’s another thing to hear of a nightmare, of a monster, and it’s a completely different matter meeting it in person.

  Still, despite the sea of highly disturbed by the spectacle I as offering people, Jumin and Jaehee still remained completely calm as they calculated me.

  ‘_____ I hope you are ready to go and retrieve MC. This whole mission is solely to aid you in infiltration, so whatever happens in the future, we are going to be in constant communication to lead you successfully to my fiancée. I hope you understand your role into this.’ Jumin calmly regarded me with his steely gaze, his whole demeanor and posture reminding me the blade of a sword.

  ‘Geez cat-mom, don’t sound so serious this is a piece of cat cake for ______-yeo.’ Seven laughs and pats me in the back, managing to lighten up the mood a little bit since the whole room seemed to exhale.

 ‘We are actually sending her in nothing but that?’ Jaehee points towards my attire in calm terror.

‘I’m glad you asked Assistant Kang!’ Luciel exclaimed and merrily clasped his hands together ‘Allow me to elaborate why kitty’s uniform and gear cost cat-mom a small fortune he could easily use to buy a small island.’

 ‘Luciel stop calling me cat-mom this instant!’ Jumin threw seriously but Luciel only smiled a devious cat-smile.

  ‘As you command cat-dad~! So’ he pointed at me with a grand move ‘______-kitty isn’t simply wearing a full-body suit, but in reality this is a cutting edge, Kevlar lined custom made body armor infused with sheer thickening liquid which is made out of carbon nanotube technology; it allows zero penetration even if shot through a considerable distance and is flexible enough to allow full control over one’s [movements](https://i.pinimg.com/236x/99/7b/ee/997bee0c29d04ee1a03c2f37e6ccf5f9--superhero-costumes-women-superhero-cosplay.jpg). Nonflammable, it can withstand a serious amount of friction without even scratching and since _____-yeo has zipped it up her neck, it can withstand stabbing or shooting the area.’ He smiles a bright smile towards the rest of the people before continuing ‘As you can see, the belt goes around her higher and lower waist, along with high in her thighs which is because it contains a Kevlar metal rope that is remotely controlled by the watch on her right hand in order to be easily used in cases of emergency… you know, if she flings herself off a building, providing her enough balance to safely make it to the bottom.’ He shrugs indifferently ‘Her boots are Kevlar combat boots made out of the same nanotube technology as her suit and can withstand and completely nullify collisions from up to 15meters without damaging the bones. They also contain blades coated with poison, so be very careful not to get kicked by them.’ he laughs deviously.

  ‘Her weapons?’ one of the people surrounding us asks.

 ‘Her weapons are these bad boys~’ Luciel pulls out a knife from my pocket, raising it high so everybody could see it ‘There are United Cutlery UC2772 [kunai](https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcShT7LxDQKYl-ZIeNrRren6rSAP4WtCnjP7TIgEv4OsoxbfcIzK). They use a finger ring on the end that both aids with drawing and control in close-quarters combat, but also cuts down on wind resistance when they become airborne. Couple that ring with 8oz of weight and high-grade AUS-6 black stainless steel and you’ve got a piece you can throw for long bombs. Still 12” to help with balance and the handle is nylon wrapped. Lemme just say, I wouldn’t do anything to anger her while she holds these if I were you. She’s deadly unarmed, begin to imagine what she can do with these on her hands~’ Luciel turns and winks deviously at me, making me roll my eyes.

   ‘And the makeup?’ a woman asks.

‘The makeup is my trade-mark. Everybody underground knows me as  _La Muerta_  because a chosen few live to tell the tale and my makeup is that of a [skeleton](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/Xix826tcc_g/maxresdefault.jpg). Plus, I have my hair up in an easy twisty bun so nobody has the advantage to pull them in battle.’ I inform the curious crowd.

  A man looking at me laughs ‘Yes but, people do live to tell the tale. Maybe you ain’t that good.’

Smiling, I look at him straight in the eye ‘Somebody has to warn the others of what is coming for them don’t you think?’

   Aaaand there goes the light behind his eyes; I chuckle to myself as Luciel raises his hand towards me, offering me a small, black collar with a gem-shaped charm on it. Taking it from his hand, I smile and wink at him as I wrap it around my neck and grin.

  ‘This is a hidden camera; it’ll allow you to see whatever I’m seeing. Also, Luciel I already have the earpiece.’ I inform my red-headed hacker who only hums and walking over to me in a flash, he gives me a small kiss on the head as I roll my eyes.

  ‘Time to get this show on the road aliens!’ he announces and everybody cheers along with him.

Swallowing hard, I straighten my back and drop every single pestering thought from my mind.

 Time to save MC.

~62:59:43:18~


	9. Chapter 9 Renegades

There’re only a handful of other things that can be compared with the adrenaline rush riding a motorbike in an incredibly high speed gives you. When you can clearly hear the wind howling away in your protected by the helmet ears; as you navigate through the busy streets by moving with fluid motions and incredible speed to the left and right, avoiding the traffic and with the fleeting lights of the noisy city drowning under the helmet. The accelerator under your right hand buzzes with a soft hum and the engine purrs like a cat in heat the more you push the bike forward. For a few moments, for the moments you are riding the bike, it’s only you and the wind; no pestering thoughts, no voices, no anything that can weight you down to the earth. For a few moments, you are one with the wind, able to run as fast as you can and all at the same time taste the mouthful of freedom it provides you with. Truly, it can be compared only with a few things; the adrenaline rushes through your veins like hot water, electrifying you and making you feel alive. And if you are anything like me, feeling alive does feel somewhat strange, alien and addicting. Making the whole experience a lot more intoxicating.

    I must thank Luciel later for taking care of my bike while I was away. Smiling to myself and pushing the accelerator even more, I navigate my Harley Davidson [Fat Boy](https://s.cdnadcom.net/sportmotor/img_news/s/w1920/2017/03/17/1423/2017-Harley-Davidson-Fat-Boy-S1.jpg) S through the busy streets of Seoul without giving much thought to the traffic or the traffic lights. I barely even hear Luciel’s voice while he advices me where to tread more carefully and where not; a voice that soon drowns away by the victorious screams my mind is creating. Riding with Zen was cool, but nothing ever compared with running with my own bike; making it obey my every command, turn and shoot out through the narrow paths created by the cars; some irritated honking are heard here and there but I barely register them. Tonight was a lawless night; tonight the beasts were coming out to play and truly enough, one of the darkest ones would join the game of who-gets-killed-first. I wonder if the people in the cult really had any idea where they gotten themselves into, kidnapping the fiancée of a businessman who knows the best hacker in the world. Did they not think who the said hacker will know that can aid? Poor them, I almost feel pity…. Almost.

   Slowly but steadily, the buildings of Seoul started getting fewer and fewer, until I exited the city completely, venturing out in the darkness of a moonless night with only the screen of the GPS showing me where I wanted to go. The drive to the cult’s lair was at least three hours away, so I would reach it when it was well after midnight; apparently –and as Seven explained to me- shady businesses like shady locations, making me wonder where the hell have the good old gangsters that dwelled inside town went; it would be easier to drive there in half an hour, go in, kick them in the balls, go out. I mean how simple could that be! But noooooooo, they had to make their base of operations in God-knows-where, in a creepy-ass mansion a la Dracula that was so well protected that needed Luciel to actually hack into a satellite so he could keep connection with me when I went in. How extra.

   Sighing under my breath, I focus on the road ahead of me, taking a sharp turn to the right when the GPS commanded me to, finding myself racing on an almost deserted side road. From my earbud, I could clearly hear Seven talking with the rest of the group back in Jumin’s house and by the looks of it, Zen and Yoosung had also joined the gang since they were too anxious to simply wait it out. It was rather funny to hear Zen and Jumin bickering endlessly but Seven’s voice brought me back to reality.

  _‘You’re closing in kitty. Be as silent as a cat-tiptoeing._ ’ The red-headed hacker advices me and all conversations die out as I lower my speed and finally locate a concrete wall in the far distance.

   Pulling the motorbike to a stop, I dismount it and start collecting my stuff, eyeing the said wall as if it was my life-long arc nemesis. Beyond that the whole cult estate spread and I would have to be extra careful while going inside. Packing the small bag I had brought with me containing two cult cloaks, I quickly walk towards the wall.

 ‘Alright, so what is the plan?’ I ask, looking around.

   _‘On your right you’ll see a tree. Use it to get inside. You’ve got exactly 50’’ before the guards do their rounds again, so shake it kitty~’_

  Turning towards the direction Seven pointed me towards, I indeed see the said tree. Well, it wasn’t going to be a walk in the park would it? Swallowing hard and inhaling, I break out into a run with everything I’ve got. Using my speed to my advantage, I step on the tree trunk once…twice and eject myself upwards to grab a steady branch with my right hand and then left and pull myself up to leisurely sit on it. It shook violently under the extra weight, but thankfully managed to withstand it just enough to enable me to slide forward. Stepping on the wall, I check the perimeter briefly, before I allow myself to jump down unceremoniously with the boots nullifying the collision with an almost inaudible ‘thud’.

   The moment I was down, I checked around me once again ‘I’m in.’

‘ _Good; you have 30 secs before the guards find you. Two meters up ahead you’ll find the hatch that leads to the basement.’ Luciel advices ‘Mission infiltrating kitty is starting~’_ he chuckled lowly.

  ‘Don’t give it weird names, you human-sized cat, and pay attention.’ I reprimand him as I walk forward, looking all around ‘Goddamnit, the cult might be just a step before a-fly-over-the-cuckoo’s-nest but they have one hell of a gardener!’

  For a single moment I couldn’t ignore the beauty of the place that surrounded me, stealing a few seconds to allow myself a look around the vast garden. Huge and extremely old magnolia trees spread until the far horizon where the huge cult building was hidden, creating a sea of white and pinkish trees that shone luminescent under the faintest light of the gentle hidden-lights illuminating the whole garden. The trees arced majestically above the pathways, creating a fairytale like scenery that stole your breath away the more you allowed yourself to look at it. Flower beds lazily covered the ground, their flowers and herbs gently waving into the refreshing night breeze, creating a sea of wonders. Lavenders, lilacs, cloves, petunias, lilies, cyclamins and marigolds in a luxurious variety of colors covered any possible corner, filling the air with a dazzling, sweet aroma; everything was so dream-like, you could almost catch a glimpse of the little fairies and fairy-folk dancing among the small buds, smiling, laughing and luring in all the passersby’s into an embrace they wouldn’t want to leave ever again. It drew you in dangerously, calling out for you and lulling you with the promises of a paradise on earth. It was almost impossible to escape it. Almost.

 _‘Kitty, they’re coming!’_  Luciel’s voice breaks me out of my stupor and my head snaps towards the path behind me, only to spot a few shadows dancing on the wall, coming towards me.

  Swearing hard under my breath, I lean down and pull on the hatch door, ignoring the beauty spreading all around me. Opening it, I manage to slip inside just in time that the guards passed by my spot, laughing loudly and ignoring the small ‘click’ the door elicited as I pulled it closed. That was a close one for sure. Hastily, I start my descend towards the darkness of the bottom, trying to make sure no other noises that betrayed people coming my way were heard inside the tight spaces of the underground pathways. Reaching down, I let go and land on my feet with a muffled ‘thud’. My hand flies to my collar and a small light switches on, allowing me to see just enough as I venture through the narrow corridor.

   ‘Seven, you can still hear me right?’ I ask to my earbud, unnerved a bit by the sudden silence.

 _‘Awww, did my kitty miss me? Nah, I’m always here love, watching over you like the God-Seven I am.~_ ’ Luciel playfully chuckles on his microphone and I roll my eyes exasperatedly.

  ‘God Seven, oh please, make sure nobody is around or your faithful believer will get caught.’ I play along with his joke, taking a turn and finding myself inside the vast basement.

  The whole place was still under heavy construction so many tools and rubble were left here and there, littering the place and the narrow staircase that lead to the upper floor. My gaze wandered from the tools lying around to the sturdy ceiling above my head; if I remembered correctly from the layouts, I was just under the followers bedrooms, just the perfect spot to pop out of nowhere and avoid questions I would be unable to answer.

 _‘No need to worry _____, apparently there is no-one above you for now. The satellite shows me there is a large gathering on the main hall, so you’ll have to avoid it. MC is in one of the rooms right across and a floor up from yours; there is security around her, so you’ll need to act fast.’_  Seven advices as I open my backpack and wear the coal black cloak with the Mint Eye crest, pulling the hood up and concealing my characteristics. Hastily, I shoved MC’s cloak inside one of the inner pockets.

  ‘Alright, let’s do this.’ I mutter more to myself than to Seven, picking up my courage and walking fast up the stairs.

   My heart was pounding hard against my chest, threatening me either with a heart-attack or with revealing my presence to anyone that happened to pass next to me; no matter how many times I’ve done this, it never gets any easier when you know someone’s life is depending on you for survival.

  The doorknob was cold against my touch as I silently open the door and slide out on the upper corridor, finding myself in what appeared to be….Versailles hallways? Everything around me was painted in a deep wine red, from the walls that were decorated with many true pieces of Art like paintings depicting a variety of theological scenes and busts of people like Dante or Marquis de Sade, the crystal lights hanging from the ceiling and all the way down to the luxurious matching carpet that drowned away any sound. Rustic furniture were resting here and there along the way, mostly tables with huge vases with flowers, made by a dark chestnut wood. Doors spread until the eye could see, none of them unlocked. A few statues were spread here and there, most of them depicting Greek gods. No windows were present, making the atmosphere all too dark and heavy.

   _‘Head to your left and then turn right.’_  Seven advices in my ear.

‘…Welcome to Dante’s Inferno ladies and creeps…’ I murmur to myself as I obey the order given to me.

  My steps were almost inaudible against the pavement and my cloak rustles lightly in my every move, as I round the corner and make my way through the cult’s headquarters. The place seemed deserted for the most part and rest assured I avoided the places were voices came like they were the fucking plague, but I simply couldn’t help but feel completely unnerved by what I saw along the way. Whoever made this place surely did have a love for the dark and haunting nightmares that wake us up in sweat and panting heavily; this place could as well as be inhabited by Nosferatu himself! After I left the first corridor, the pavement was replaced by white and black marble floors, making criss-cross patterns and echoing each and every step I took like it was a true gunshot. The walls varied from being painted with deep and dark colors to being completely covered by wallpapers depicting –and I kid you not- Hell or Heaven; the angels and demons seemed so alive to the eye, they could as well as jump out of the painting and nobody would be amazed by it. Sometimes, the paintings spread to cover the whole ceiling above as well, making the atmosphere all too dark.

   I had made sure to keep my head stooped down in order to avoid any prying eyes and to my utter relief, the few people I came across only exchanged a few greetings like ‘For Eternal Paradise’ and ‘Long live the Saviour’, troubling me no further. Every time I came across one though, the knives in my pockets felt a bit heavier than they should. As always, Luciel guided me through the building steadily and cautiously, always having a clean sight of what I was seeing through the camera adorning my neck. Up until now, nobody asked me anything much so there was not any need for him to help me out other than guiding.

   Rounding another corner, my eyes immediately fixated on the single door across from me. Right there, two bulky guards were standing; they were both a good two heads taller than me and twice the size, dressed in nothing but a pure white cloak which hid away their eyes and carried the cult’s logo strapped across their arms. They were leaning against the wall behind them proudly and by the distinguishable heaviness in one of their pockets, carried guns as well. Even in their apparent calmness, they seemed lethal. I didn’t need Seven to tell me I had reached my target.

   Staring at them from under my hood, I carefully but confidently start walking towards them, trying to appear like nothing was amiss at all.

  ‘For Eternal Paradise and our Savior’s life gentlemen.’ I courtly nod them, coming to a stop just a few steps away from the door and them. Keeping my body entirely unmovable, I calculate the distance dividing me from them and the door.

  ‘For the Saviour, Believer!’ one of them speaks up, drawing my attention ‘State your name and purpose here.’

‘I’m K00009 and Saviour has sent me to take the prisoner to the main area for the ceremony.’ I repeat the words Luciel whispers in my ear, watching them carefully.

   ‘From the Intelligence unit? Mr. Ray himself said not to let anyone in with the prisoner.’ The second one mutters.

  ‘Mr. Ray is no longer in charge of the prisoner. Saviour is requesting her in the main area and if I were you, I wouldn’t keep her waiting.’ I repeat steadily, allowing a small tint of irritation paint my voice for extra credit.

 The first bodyguard chuckles ‘Well that’s strange. Because Savior told us not to move her at all until the ceremony is finished. What changed Believer? And if these are her orders, why didn’t mr. Ray come to retrieve her himself?’ he questions me and I feel his gaze roaming all over me. This was not good; I should stop them from asking too many questions and threaten to reveal me. Seven advised me to stay calm and instinctively, I feel my hand reaching for my knives.

  ‘Saviour wants to have her cleansing ceremony and it’s going to be held by mr. Ray, who is currently preparing for it. I’ve spent too much time with your unnecessary questions gentlemen so if you don’t allow me to take her to the Savior, do you really want Savior to come retriever her? What would that be like?’

  Both of them fall silent as their gazes meet, obviously worrying about what the correct answer to that would be. If this ‘Saviour’ is anything like the rest of the bosses throughout history itself, he/she wouldn’t like to be held waiting by something so trivial. But then again, I didn’t know what had gone on before that could blow my plan up completely or not. To be sure though, I grab a steady grip around one of my knives just in case. Quite a few tormenting moments go by, until the first guard turns towards me again.

  ‘Alright, you can take her.’ He says and promptly shoves his hand inside his pocket, turning towards the door as I come closer.

   ‘Just do me a favor will ya?’ the second one says from right beside me, staring right down at me ‘Can you say the password first? Just a precaution measure, you’ll understand.’

 Shit.

  _‘What the fuck? Which password? Kitty rainbow? Nanyan Cat? Space station?! I don’t know anything about a password!’_ Seven whispers in my ear, voice painted with terror as he types away furiously.

  Shit!

  ‘Of course I’ll recite it for you-‘

‘Now please!’ he demands cutting me off and the first guard completely unlocks the door in front of me.

‘It’s’ I clench my grip around the knife and abruptly look up, allowing the guard a full view to my face ‘~See you in hell bitch.’

   The guard’s eyes open wide with a mixture of surprise and horror at my view and his mouth falls open to warn his comrade but it’s already too late. Silently and within a single flash, my hand moves on its own and my knife plunges inside his throat as easily as it would have if cutting butter. Warm liquid flows to stain my hand but I do not remove my stare from the guard’s eyes, which fill with surprise and a choking sound erupts from his lungs, before I remove my knife with a sharp move and his hand flies to his throat just mere seconds before he falls on the floor with a loud noise. A scream reverberates inside the small space and turning, I see the first guard looking at his comrade and then turn to lock the door back up, but I was faster than him. Stepping on the wall beside the door, I eject myself up to wrap my legs around his waist from behind, covering his mouth with my right one and bring the blade tightly against his neck. He freezes like a deer in headlights and I chuckle.

  ‘Bye-bye miss American pie~.’ I coo, moving the blade sharply and cutting his throat from one side to the other.

  Jumping down from him just in time, I let him fall to the ground as well before I throw a worried look behind me and walk over to the door, pushing the dead bodies aside to make way.

  ‘Did anyone hear us Seven?’ I ask as I turn the doorknob.

_‘Nope, not a soul is heading your way. Hurry kitty~’_

   Exhaling a breath I didn’t know I was holding, I open the door widely only to be greeted by the penetrating darkness. The metallic smell of rust and salt reaches my nose in a mere second, making my stomach tighten and my hand to quickly raise itself against the wall in search for the light switch; all the possible scenarios of what I would encounter flashed through my mind, one more gruesome than the other, forcing me to furiously scream mentally for my brain to stop. Everything was going to be okay. Inside the darkness I could clearly hear the sound of heavy breathing indicating that I was in the right room, that I had arrived just in time before anything bad happened. Alas, when my fingers do find the switch and flipped it, my heart immediately sinks with the spectacle I’m presented with as a single light flashes open in the middle of the ceiling, providing just enough light to see.

   This room was very different from all the others; even if it was just as huge as the rest of them, this time all of the windows were heavily bolted and almost build up, plus it was completely bereft of any furniture lying around, save for the single chair right in the middle of the room and the huge table further on the right, adorned with every kind of medical tool one would find in a true surgery room. All of them were polished and ready to be used and by the looks of it, there was only one person who could be used as an experiment around here.

  Right in the middle of the room, tied tightly on a chair, sat MC herself. She was bound down by thick ropes around her wrists, ankles and stomach preventing her completely from doing any move but lean forward a bit just as she was doing right now. Her skin had given away and bled heavily through the ropes by the friction, caused as I could see from her mighty struggle to avoid the tortures they had put her through; truly, the girl right in front of me was severely beaten up. Her mouth and eyes were covered by thick black cloths, preventing her from seeing her attacker as they probably cruised around the room deciding what to do with her. She was dressed in nothing but her undergarments, obviously freezing by the penetrating cold prevailing inside the room, and she was bathed almost from top to bottom in her own blood. Cuts in various degrees of depth adorned every single inch of her body, while her torso and stomach were already bleeding profusely from the freshly made cuts; some of them were carvings, writing with bloody letters one single word repeatedly: ha ha ha. Her skin must have been perfectly white at some point, now grew gruesome blue and purple bruises, mostly covering her face and neck. It was obvious someone had taken all his anger out on her and I could hear Luciel swearing heavily in my ear.

   Across and onto the left of MC, was a tripod that supported a small camera.

MC must have sensed that someone was in the room with her –probably even heard what was going on outside- and her head perked up, only to immediately stay still, afraid that more torture was going to befall on her. Her movement brought me out of my stupor; I didn’t have time to waste.

  ‘MC there is no need to be afraid.’ I cooed as gently as I could, walking fast towards the camera and turning it in order to face the wall on the right; we couldn’t have someone seeing us now, could we? MC on the other hand though tightened herself in fear, making me swear a bit as I rushed by her side.

  ‘My name is ______ and I’m with Luciel and the whole R.F.A. I’m here to rescue you.’ I further explained as I started trying to untie her and her muffled voice came through the cloth as she desperately turned towards my direction ‘God dammnit how tight is this knot?’ I wonder out loud before raising my knife and start cutting the rope with fast movements.

  The girl panted heavily and almost screamed in relief as I freed her hand and made my way to the other side, shaking her limb vigorously to regain some of its functions, before bringing it to the cloth over her eyes. 

‘I have to warn you!’ I stop her and her hand hovers a bit ‘My appearance at the moment is a bit unconventional so please don’t scream when you see me; it will alert the others.’

   Her lean fingers grab the hem of the cloth, pulling it off her with power, her bright brown eyes immediately turn towards me and widen in surprise. I smile at her brightly, trying to encourage her as I free her other hand and proceed with the bindings on her legs as she pulls the cloth from her mouth, coughing a bit.

  ‘Who-who are you?’ she immediately asks, flinching at my harsh movements.

 ‘I’m Seven’s childhood friend. Word got out that you were taken and I rushed in to help. Are you feeling any faint? Can you stand?’ I ask quickly as I finally undo her bindings and help her to her feet; the poor girl wobbles a little bit but eventually manages to stay up, tightening her hands around herself and looking at me curiously.

   ‘I didn’t know.. Se…Seven had a childhood friend. You… you look rather… odd.’ She admits as I fumble with my pockets and pull out her cloak, grinning widely.

   ‘I’ll take that as a compliment. Now, wear this and let’s get out of here.’ I rush her.

‘No! No! We can’t leave! He’ll chase us and kill us! He told me so!’ she desperately grabs onto my hand, her voice laced with terror and panic.

 ‘Let him come, I’ll give him a nice ass whooping he won’t be able to sit for days.’ I tried to pacify her, grabbing the cloak and forcing her to wear it unwillingly.

  Yet she still shakes her head ‘Unknown isn’t the one you can go up against easily. Lo-‘ she choked, tears blooming in her eyes ‘Look what he did to me!’

  Now her tears were running free from her eyes and she was desperately clinging onto my hand like her very life depended on it. She was hesitant to go up against him and it was normal; a lot of victims are so afraid of their capturers, that even if they have the strength, they do nothing to oppose them. Only that this time, Unknown should be the one to be afraid. It was an endgame for him from the moment I managed to infiltrate the estate. Mc didn’t know that of course; and she would never find out if it was within my power. So it was pretty normal if you think what she went through and there was only one thing t do to place her enough at ease to work with me. In a single flash, I jerk her towards me sharply and her mouth falls open to scream, only for her voice to drown inside her lungs as my hands wrap around her protectively and comforting. I know that the uniform wouldn’t do much to help me, but the act alone would be enough to put her mind at ease as I hug her tightly, resting my hand on her hair lightly. She was just a few inches shorter than me, so it was easier to imprint in her subconscious that since I was physically stronger and taller than her, I would be able to aid her easily. This was a small trick I learnt over my years in this occupation: you trust the one that seems stronger –mentally or physically- than you to help you out of a dangerous situation.

 ‘It’s going to be okay MC. Calm down. I need to have you with me if we’re going to make it out.’ I whisper lightly, feeling her breathing relax a bit ‘Do you trust me? I can get you out of here but only if you listen to everything I tell you. I’m going to take you back home, I promise.’

  For a few moments she was silent; her petite frame convulsed lightly and I knew she was crying but eventually she nods ‘O-okay.’

  This was my cue.

Letting go of her, I place a few inches of distance among us and I get down fixing her cloak properly in order not to raise suspicions.

  ‘Whatever I tell you to do along the way, you do it, am I understood?’ I say sternly as I raise her hood over her head ‘If I tell you to run, you run.  If I tell you to hide, you hide. You stay quiet and calm, and everything will be okay. Deal?’ I shake her lightly by the shoulders.

 She wobbles a bit again but nods nonetheless ‘Y-yes.’

  ‘We’ll make it out, I promise. Now hold my hand and don’t let go no matter what. And stay quiet.’

  Grabbing a hold of her freezing and trembling hand, I steadily lead her out of the hellish room, checking to see if we were discovered yet or not before walking hastily among the corridors once again. This time we weren’t supposed to use the same way as the one I had come in, since there was another shortcut that would take us to my bike faster. Thankfully, the whole place was still empty, making it a lot easier to navigate through it. MC was still trembling but held on to my hand with power, as if it was her life-line; if it came down to us being captured again though, I highly doubt she was going to be the one going down first. Still, she was moving fast together with me, stalling us no more.

  ‘Seven, what’s the way through? I don’t remember this crossroad on the map.’ I mumbled onto my earpiece, looking around the corner to see some other cult members pass by in the distance, oblivious to our presence.

  ‘ _Go straight ahead and then turn right, you’ll see a flight of stairs. Go up and then move straight ahead.’_   Seven instructed and I nodded, even if he couldn’t see it. Pulling MC along with me, we rushed to the direction the hacker pointed and truly enough, we came across the staircase.

   We were halfway through the stairs when an alarm went off. The screeching sound pierced the complete silence like a bullet and instinctively my head jerked upwards in surprise and my heart plunged into my stomach, as MC yelped loudly beside me. Commotion and doors opening and closing filled the air, hundred pairs of feet meeting with the ground while screams and orders reverberated through any possible direction. I didn’t need Luciel’s panicked voice in my ear to know this was the alarm that signaled MC had escaped. Which only meant we were fucking doomed if we didn’t hurry up.

  Tugging on MC’s hand harshly, we start running up the rest of the stairs with everything we had, our feet flying on the marble pavement as we raced against time to escape this hellish place, passing through long corridors and small clearings and crossroads. Seven kept updating me on the route we had to take as well as the movements of the rest of the members and said that it was Unknown himself that discovered MC was gone in the first place; now, the ceremony was interrupted and all the members were out for our blood, initiating the necessary procedures to lock this place up. If we get trapped in here, it is endgame for the both of us. These were the thoughts that panicked me more and more with each second; my mind was completely thrown into mission mode but my heart was heavy with the possibilities, pounding hard in my ears and trying desperately to break through my mind’s state of calmness. It wasn’t the fact that I would die that scared me; it was the fact that an innocent will also be served a sentence she didn’t deserve.

   ‘C’mon girls! Faster!’ Seven was urging us in my ear, voice losing its calmness faster and faster.

  ‘We’re hurrying up just enough Luciel! We’re almost there!’ I scream at him as we round a corner and start running on a whole different corridor; this time, everything around us was completely white from the marble floor to the white walls and ceiling that were illuminated by hidden lights all along the way to where we needed to go. If I remembered correctly, we’re closing in on the operation rooms and the storage.

   ‘On your right!’ Luciel screamed as a hand suddenly appeared on the crossroad right ahead of us, attached to one cultist which rounded the corner along with his friend.

  My reaction was immediate.

   Letting go of MC’s hand as the girl yelps, her hands flying to protect herself as she backs away in the corner, I give the two cultists zero time to react as I grab the protruding hand of the first one and pulling out my knife with my left hand, I stab him right in the gut. The man is taken by surprise and his voice drowns inside his lungs, his body leaning forward in surprise by the unexpected pain, allowing me to easily maneuver him against the wall, taking advantage of the momentary stun. Removing the knife from the wound with a scream, I try to stab him in the chest, when the fucker manages to block me with his hand, almost managing to grab the knife out of my grip. Without missing a single beat, I turn to the side and with a scream I elbow him straight into his fugly face, feeling the nose break under my pressure, the same time that blood ejects out of his nose. The man growls and spits on my face, blocking my fist that I catapulted against him and managing with a swift move to remove my knife from my hand as I staggered backwards.

    Next thing I knew, his fists comes in straight contact with my face, feeling my own nose screaming at me and my lip cut, allowing the rich taste of rust and salt infiltrate my mouth; my hand flew to my mouth as I saw the second man come out of his stupor and engaging to come straight at me, as the first one threw a mighty punch against me once again. Swallowing hard, I take a step to the right side and I grab the protruding hand with my left hand with sheer power and my right one flies to grab onto his neck, squeezing onto his airpipe with everything I had in me, before I duck under his raised hand and throwing my whole weight against him I make him fall with his entire weight onto his comrade. Though, I don’t let go of the first one’s hand; giving a vertical punch straight into the first man’s neck, I allow him to release himself as I turn onto his comrade and unceremoniously step on his leg. He screams and I feel the bone giving out under my boot, releasing a victorious grin that splits my face in half. This is what I’m talking about bitch!

  The first man comes against me once again and I detach my leg from the ground to land a powerful kick on his gut, but the man managed to punch me in the face once again. A loud groan leaves my lips and I can vaguely hear Seven calling out for me before another punch lands on me and my left eye screams with pain; instinctively, my head turns towards the man and inside the blur my vision had turned into, I see his fist ejecting against me with a victorious scream. Only that this time, my muscles reacted faster. Both my hands eject forward, managing to block his fist with ease before they grab it tightly; my body moves on its own to place me by his side and I grab him by the back of his neck, shoving him roughly on the ground. The man falls down with a loud noise and immediately turns on his back and tries to kick me, but I easily punch his leg out of the way before I make my way to him and raising my foot I land a perfect kick straight onto his face. His head connects with both the ground and my kick and his body convulses and he remains completely still.

   ‘THERE THEY ARE! WE FOUND THEM!’ another scream echoes inside the corridor and snapping my head towards the direction of it, I see another cloaked member –probably a woman by the size and voice of her- screaming and pointing at us.

  Immediately, I turn to MC, grabbing her hand once again ‘We got to move now! Run!’ I tell her and ignoring the man with the broken leg, we start running on the large corridor once again.

   Our feet pound against the floor and my lungs burn me from the inside out as I hear the people after us scream many incoherent things I was in no state of processing. MC right next to me panted loudly as well, her hood flying backwards and revealing her blood and tear stained face but her brown eyes are drowned inside a weird mixture of utter fear and absolute determination. Running with all our might, the only thing I could hear was Luciel’s low voice muttering the correct way through the building step by step, aiding us along the way with any way he could; opening and locking door behind us, messing with the lights or the fire system to stall our pursuers even for a mere second. Because it was that mere second that would prove enough for our escape or our doom. My heart was now beating into one continuous hum; my feet were almost never touching the floor as they propelled me forward and my lungs were burning me with the insatiable flames of Hell itself. Yet, my brain was eerily clear, trained after all those years of similar states like this one, eliciting quick responses to the problems we were facing. That was until we were on the last corridor that would lead us to freedom.

  That was until we lost most of the crowd on the said corridor.

Only to find our way blocked by six or more cult people, steadily waiting for us armed with various small sized weapons.

   Seeing them, we came to a stop. Shoving MC behind my back to protect her, I eye the men fiercely as I take a single step forward and reach for my cloak. Their eyes are immediately trained on us, throwing various curses and insults, raising their weapons threatenly and making MC behind me choke out a sob. Alas, this was a feeble attempt into intimidating us. Calmly, silently and carefully, I grab a hold of the zipper and pull it gently down until the whole cloak comes undone and my delicate hands reach out to pull my hood down; giving them a full view to my menacing appearance as the cloak pooled under me and my hands sharply pulled out a pair of knives. The ringing in my ear drowned away all other sounds and my vision focused solely on them; for a single moment, for one fraction of a heartbeat, it was only me and the prey which was under the false impression that it was the predator.

  One step towards them.

Two steps…

 My fists clenched around the knives with sheer determination.

  Like it was nothing.

And at the time, it felt like they were nothing.

‘Hey! F*ck-faces!’ I hear myself scream loudly, raising the blades and smiling sadistically ‘Come to mama!’

   My heart stopped inside my chest and my body tensed up with my fists tightening around the blades as they made their way calmly towards me, raising their weapons which shone dangerously on the bright lights. Then, they screamed and charged against me full force.

     Ducking immediately and barely having the chance to escape the first person’s knife, I pass behind him and taking the chance presented, I stab him in the back of his head with power, hearing him scream solemnly before falling on the ground lifelessly. The smug smile never left my lips as I did that but it was soon erased as one of them grabbed me with his elbow from the neck, making the earth get lost under my feet as he picked me up, pushing so hard against my trachea that my air supply was unceremoniously cut. I struggled both to breathe and escape his large arm, but no matter how hard I tried to pull, his arm was immovable. Right at that point, two other guys made their way towards me, raising their fists and yelling loudly, ready to shred me in pieces in one go. Before I had the chance to react, their fists come in hard contact with my stomach and face, eliciting a new wave of pure, unstoppable pain shoot through me. My vision started turning black on the edges and I could clearly hear inside the eerie silence of my mind –where not even my own screams reached– Luciel’s voice calling out for me; the punches continued unstoppable though and I could feel my sides cracking under them, making me choke out painfully. It had been quite a while since I felt something like that and at a certain point of time I could not decipher my mind clicked and my vision cleared.

  Clenching my jaw tightly, my mind ordered my body to defend itself.

   Using the giant's steely grip to my advantage, I was able to lift my body and kick the first guy right in the face, feeling his nose break under my foot and do the same thing to the other one. Only this time, I kick him straight in the face with both legs with a victorious and crazed scream, as the first one had backed down momentarily, trying to understand what just happened. I let my arms fall on my sides and the moment my body started falling downwards, I turned it so that I landed on the foot of the giant that was holding me, with all the force it had taken. The giant yelled out from the pain and I felt his arms loosen up a mere millimeter, a millimeter though, that was more than enough. Straightening my body, I slid right from his grasp and turning, slice his neck open from side to side with a wide and precise movement.

  Without a moment’s stop, I give a strong kick right in the stomach of the girl that was now trying to attack me, but she was fast enough to evade and punch me in the face. Letting out a loud scream, I grab her hand strongly and using my elbow, I hit her with all my might just above her elbow, feeling the bone break. She screamed, but the noise was soon cut short when one of my knives penetrated her neck and passed through her jaw, her eyes rolling in the back of her head.  Taking the opportunity of an open space around me, I run towards it to gain some distance from the remaining people and towards the defenseless MC, but one of the guys jumped in front of me and opened his arms, ready to grab me hard. Letting out a small laugh and charging even more towards him, right when he was about to close his hands and grab me, to his utter surprise, I step on the wall beside him with a swift move and throw my knife straight into his unprotected neck. He doesn’t have the time to react at all only to allow his hands to fly to his neck, as I immediately fall behind him and slice his Achilles’ heels, making him fall down and my blade found its way right in his heart. He chokes violently, but I proceed to stab him again and again, wild cries of victory leaving my lips as my hands are tainted with blood. When he stops moving, I remove my knives and straightening myself once again, I turn towards the remaining cultists.

   All I managed to hear was a penetrating, infuriated growl and the world stood still around me, followed by a piercing scream of terror coming from MC’s lips.

   In slow motion, my consciousness is pushed violently back yet again as my head automatically turns towards the sound, instincts kicking in almost immediately and adrenaline coursing through my veins like pure lava. My brain had barely the time to register a silver and red flash along with a man standing behind it, before I raised my knives to protect myself. The clanging sound of metal hitting metal flooded the place, shredding the silence of the hallways in half as my knives managed to stop the swinging axe that was about to cut me down with one fluid motion. At the other side of the axe stood a menacing looking black-haired cultist; his eyes were completely taken over by insanity, making it look like there was nothing but haziness and shadows that were ready to devour any living creature around him. He appeared to be older than me, yet he was already in a very bad state, his skin adorned by almost completely purplish veins that made him look monstrous. So taken aback I was with the sight right in front of me, that I failed to notice the axe being raised in the air again for a second round of slashing and crashing.

  My eyes took a simple second to blink and in that mere moment my brain restarted with a push and I was thrown into battle mode once again. My consciousness is thrown in the back of my mind and for the first time in a long while, I see the things happening all around me as if I was seeing them in a huge cinema screen. With a fluid motion, my legs take a swift step back at the very same moment that my body turns to the side; the silver axe passes mere millimeters away from the bridge of my nose failing to inflict even the tiniest of damage. Yet the man was not disappointed at all. With another vertical swing, he catapults the axe against my throat trying to decapitate me in one go but at the right time I lean downwards and avoid the lethal blade, which instead crashes on the wall with full power. The wall breaks, creating a hole on it as the man withdraws the blade once again and swings it. This time, I had anticipated his next movement though.

  Dropping one blade to my pocket and keeping the other into my right hand, I eject my left one and manage to grab a firm hold of the axe just in time before it touches my face. The cultist screams and places all of his strength on making the blade resume its course against me, head butting me straight in the face in an attempt to make me budge, but raising my left foot from the ground, I am fast enough to land a kick straight in his stomach and then kick his legs out of him. He stumbles to the ground like a sack of potatoes, the very same time that loud footsteps come from behind me on the corridor. Turning, my eyes locate another cultist, this time a female one, running towards us at full speed and baring her teeth, she catapults a powerful punch towards my face. Raising my hands to the same height as my face, I block her with my right elbow and then the left when she attempt to hit me with her other hand. Yet this time, I was not so careful; leaving an opening the moment she drops her punches down, I give her a full opening to my chest which she naturally takes advantage of, raising her leg and kicking me straight in the chest.

  Air was knocked out of my lungs which burned me to the point of making me scream loudly, as my knees give up from under me and I kneel right in front of her on the ground. Choking on a breath of air, my vision has turned a little bit hazy on the edges of my eyes and I spit out a mouthful of blood; behind me, MC calls out frantically for me, but I was unable to speak up and calm her down.

  ‘You actually thought you could take us on little slut?’ the girl chuckles above me and all I can feel is a sharp punch land hard with the side of my face. My head turns to the side and I choke out a bit more blood as I hear the woman laugh mockingly above me. God damn it, the bitch knew how to throw a punch.

  ‘Actually’ I hear myself choke out ‘I’m gonna fuck you all up.’ I spit out, before I snap towards her and with a strong kick, I kick her to the ground.

  Taken aback, she didn’t have time to avoid it and the result was for her to fall on one knee, giving me the perfect advantage I would ever need. My knife shines in the strong light as I swing it right in front of me and all the woman can do is open her eyes in surprise, before blood starts pouring from her delicate neck. She chokes one last time, before her body goes limp and falls on the ground.

  Still, she had managed to take my attention off the man with the axe for too long. Realizing that, my eyes pop open and my head turns towards the back, trying desperately to locate him as my heart sank in my chest with the spectacle I’m presented with. The little fucker had taken the opportunity that my attention was elsewhere to retrieve his axe and was now racing against a completely frozen on the spot MC; hands raised in the air both holding the axe, I could almost see the deranged face of victory as MC failed to move and braced herself for the inevitable end that drew close, keeping her doe-like eyes solely focused on the threatening axe. Time seemed to slow down all around us. My hands reached for my knives and grabbed a hold of them in their sockets as the man was only a breath away from MC. My arms flicked forward forcefully and my battlecry erupted like a gunshot inside the small spaces of the corridor.

  There was a bright flash and the man came to a stop.

Seconds passed.

  His shirt started becoming darker and darker on the spots my knives had buried themselves deeply into his skin.

  His hands loosen and the axe falls from his hand.

Before he crashes loudly against the floor, eliciting a loud sob from MC who moved to the side just in time to avoid the corpse, looking at it with wild tear-stained eyes.

  ‘C’MON MC WE HAVE TO RU-‘

BANG! BANG!

  Whatever I was going to say to MC was almost immediately stopped when the two gunshots reverberated inside the corridor. The girl screamed and reached out for me, her hand protruding towards me, but my brain was surely not following her train of thoughts; or any thoughts if I wanted to be honest. Instead, my mouth filled with a strange thick liquid with a funny taste, dripping a little bit off my lips as I turned my gaze towards the corridor behind us and over the sea of bodies I had left on my wake.

    A gun was protruding steadily from a sturdy hand. It was pointing straight at me and by the sound we had heard, had surely gone off. Behind the gun stood none other than Unknown himself. His white hair was in casual disarray along with his clothes, betraying he had rushed towards us fast enough to not pay any attention to them. His cold mint colored eyes were solely focused on me, never straying and paying attention to anything else; under their weight I felt completely naked and vulnerable, like he was more than simply able to look under my façade and glare straight into my very soul –or at least whatever soul I had left. Only then did I realize that my breath was cut and an excruciating pain bloomed over my chest, lava hot and painfully sharp, resonating throughout my whole being in huge tidal waves. Shocked, my hand flies to my chest, but the bullets have already fallen on the ground, leaving behind no wounds; the body armor had protected me completely, yet the aftermath of the impact could surely be felt as I let out a muffled scream and spat out the mouthful of blood I cradled in my mouth. MC grabbed my hand and screamed at me to run; Seven did the same thing in my ear. Yet I was left to gaze breathlessly at the unnerving man who never fired again nor did he rush after us. He simply stood there. Watching me silently.

  _‘_______ MOVE THE HELL OUT OF THERE!!!_ ’

  Seven’s voice managed to bring me out of my stupor; blinking sheepishly, I manage to feel MC’s hand desperately tugging my own as more cultists spring from behind Unknown, charging against us with everything they had. But thanks to my life-long hacker friend, my brain managed to connect the dots once again and assess the dangerous situation. Without as much as another word, I pull out one of my knives and taking a step back, I eject it straight towards Unknown’s face before grabbing MC’s hand and resuming running like madwomen out of this hellish place. Failing to see Unknown grabbing the dagger mere inches before it hit his face. No, we’re only focused right in front of us, where the means to our escape finally come to sight.

   The corridor came to an end and beyond that stood a rather large warehouse which lead to a huge door leading out of the fortress-like building. Currently, it was wide open, offering a full view to the moonless night sky and the way to our salvation. The only thing we had to do was reach it.

  A few more screams were heard and under my terrified gaze, the metallic door shudders and starts to close, sliding down slowly but steadily, the exact same time that more people flood the corridor.

  ‘SEVEN KEEP THE DOOR OPEN AT ALL COSTS!’ I scream to my earpiece, as I turn back and eject some more of my knives against any possible cultist as we near the exit.

  ‘WHAT DO WE DO?!’ MC screams terrified, but grabbing her hand hard, I usher her forward.

  ‘GO DOWN THE STAIRS ON THE LEFT AND RUN TO THE DOOR. KEEP RUNNING WHATEVER HAPPENS!’

   Halting my running for a mere moment, I eject one knife against the cultist ready to shoot MC straight in the back; the knife finds him in the eye and he screams before another cultist catches him before he touches the ground. Behind them, despite the large crowd coming against us, I could still see Unknown coming towards us threatenly and I instantly knew I had to make this quick.  Turning on my heel, I notice that MC was already going down the stairs as I reach the end of the banister overlooking the whole warehouse. A man tries to block my path, but my hands are fast to catapult another dagger against him and he kneels on the floor, providing me with just the thing I needed. Charging against the banister with full force, my feet step on him and then the banister, before ejecting me on the void spreading right in front of me. My body flips in the air and I see the white-haired man staring at me as I go down, closer than he was before. We had to hurry.

  Air pushes my (h/l) (h/c) hair backwards as I make my descend, howling loudly in my ears and my (e/c) eyes focus on MC’s back as she makes her way out of this cursed building, ducking her head to avoid the door coming down.

  ‘You only have some seconds left to leave kitty!!! I can’t hold the door open, the codes are all changing and-‘

Luciel’s voice drowned in my head as I touched the ground, knees bending by the sheer force and I tumbled on the floor before jumping on my feet and literally run with everything I had and didn’t have towards the door. My mind could literally see nothing but the metal coming to a close and fueling the urge within me to hurry up as much as I can. Avoiding the people that jumped on my way, trying to stop me with any means necessary. Only a few more steps! We can leave this hellish nightmare behind! Take MC home! Go home myself!

  BANG! BANG!

Pain burst through my back, eliciting a piercing scream of utter pain from my lips, but the adrenaline fueling my veins in dangerously high levels immediately commanded my feet to keep running whatever happens. The metal door was now a few inches from the ground; would I make it?

  With a victorious battlecry, my body falls on the ground. The metallic fabric of the body armor enables me to slide with ease on the marble floor and my head leans back in order to avoid the metal door as I slide out and it closes loudly behind me, trapping the nightmares inside and blessing us with freedom.

  One thought prevailed inside my mind.

 We made it.


	10. Chapter 10 I Am An Outsider

Every inch of my body was screaming at me in pain.

   My heart pounded hard against my chest with all her might, eliciting more and more resonating pain from my broken ribs, clouding my vision with black and red spots. Clenching my jaw with power, I willed myself to push forward, to force my legs to run with everything they had across the breathtaking gardens surrounding the estate while a bloodthirsty, deranged cult was hot in our tracks and out for our blood. MC’s hand was once again tightly closed inside my own, tightening her grip around mine with everything she had, a clear indication that she was in a same or even worse condition than me. Both our breathings were rugged and no matter how much Seven whispered words of courage and hope, his voice was drowned by the constant ringing erupting from my ears. My brain was finally starting to surrender, completely bereft of the previous adrenaline that had fuelled me; the precious drug was spent inside my veins, leaving my will behind, empty and tired of doing anything but surrendering. It was peculiar; we weren’t out of harm’s way just yet and I needed any energy I could find still.

   My bike roared to life just in time that distant voices filled the suddenly warm night air, carried away by the feather-like breeze of the cool night but it was already too late for them to follow us; with MC gripping me tightly from the waist, I wasted no time into pushing the accelerator to its limits. The forest flew all around us and I willed myself with everything I had to blink away the tears flooding my eyes and messing with my vision when I needed it the most to get us away. Every inch of my body was in terrible pain; while fighting, I didn’t really get the whole idea of how badly damaged and beaten by body became, but as the minutes passed by and the adrenaline was no longer present, its place was covered by the pure, white hot pain. My ribs were literally screaming at me with a throbbing ache, resonating with my aching stomach which contracted and pierced me murderously; my right wrist was also in a bad state and by the pain of it I would guess someone had stepped on it while I was distracted. If that wasn’t enough, my head was paining me as well and a hot liquid I pretty much guessed was blood was tripping down my face; the pain was numbed somewhat by my broken nose and I could feel the space under my left eye swell dangerously. Yet I pushed forward; there was no time and I would be able to tend to my wounds when I would be alone.

   By the time we entered the city, all traffic had died down a bit, offering a helping hand in my deteriorated state to avoid further complications that would require precision I was in no state of offering. Now, the dazzling lights of the city were all but reassuring, invading my line of vision in a rude way and assaulting my senses. I was barely able to see the road ahead of us under the bright mist they created and in a few cases, they concealed some ongoing traffic towards us, almost causing us to crash. It was at times like these that I swore loudly under my breath and MC tightened her grip in a painful way for my already battered body; but there was no way for me to tell her to loosen up, stoically enduring the pain I deserved. Because in the back of my head, just below the darkness and all the fucked up things I had seen and done, I knew I deserved all the pain I could get. It was the lack of it that complicated things; that forced me under the false illusion that I had finally repented when I knew I didn’t. How could I repent? If anyone had booked a first-table in the pits and depths of Hell itself that would in every little way be me. I deserved everything happening to me; that’s why I had to distance myself from everyone.

   It was an utter relief to throw the motorbike inside the underground pathway towards Jumin’s garage. Finally enveloping us inside a protective cloak, I released a breath I didn’t know I was holding. Suddenly the warm darkness seemed comforting and I knew that nothing was going to happen to us anymore; we were safe. I had brought MC home.

   As soon as the bright lights of the garage enveloped us and I pulled the bike to a stop, the bodyguards I had seen earlier rushed to our sides, trying to help us out in any way they could. MC’s voice filled the close spaces as the girl reassured them that she was alright and the next thing I felt was my hand being thrown over a pair of slender shoulders and another one wrapping safely around my waist; the petite girl helped me up from the bike and with a strength I was quite surprised to find out she possessed, she led us both towards the elevator waiting for us. MC was talking to me all the way there, but her voice was nothing but a loud murmur in the midst of a constant, deafening ringing. I tried to focus; blinking away the blurriness of my eyes and pushing through the clutter of my mind, it felt as if I was emerging from some dark and murky waters to listen to the female urging me to respond.

  ‘______! Hang on we’re almost there!’ she breathed out urgently, her eyes traveling to the screen showing our current floor ‘No, I got her; I don’t want your help.’ She suddenly said.

  ‘…M..C…..MC are you okay….okay?’ I tried to be heard, my voice coming out as nothing but a past whisper, barely audible.

  The grasp around my waist tightened and a face appeared inside the blurriness as I weakly tried to stand on my own, pushing her hands away and straightening my back.

   ‘Yes, yes, I’m okay!’ she choked out as she rested her hands on my shoulders and I could see her teary smile even under the heavy blurriness ‘You did it _____! You brought us home!’

   Before I had the chance to really say anything more, the doors of the elevator opened and presented us with the spectacle of a completely hectic and disheveled living room; people where running up and down screaming at each other and I could swear I saw Jaehee reprimanding one of the people there loudly, paper was thrown and covered almost the entirety of the floor, while some chairs were upside-down. MC immediately walked out of the elevator in a rush, looking all round her in search for a certain someone and her figure was blurred by a dark shadow that enveloped her almost in an instant; it took me a few seconds more to actually realize it was Jumin’s voice reaching my ears in soft words of complete bliss and relief; MC was crying her eyes out, holding onto him for dear life as her sobs made both of them tremble gently. Jumin only tightened his grip around her more as I staggered out of the elevator and straightened my back, seeing a certain red-head rushing my way and giving me a huge Cheshire grin –he dared not approach me too much though and something inside me ached more than my already screaming wounds.

 ‘Knew you’d make it kitty~! You’re just as awesome as before.’ Luciel winks deviously at me.

  My mouth opens to answer him, but the moment I do so, I feel something dripping down from the edges of my mouth; the liquid bubbles and flows in abundance from my neck, filling my air pipes and making me choke. Luciel’s golden eyes widen and, even under the blur, I see red spots decorate his beautiful face. Darkness invades my field of vision and the last thing I hear before the ground comes threatenly towards me, is Luciel urgently calling out my name.

 

 

_**~ * * ~** _

 

    Shifting a bit, I marveled at the feeling of a soft but sturdy surface existing under my aching body. Darkness had enveloped me in its numbing embrace, taking away the excruciating pain coursing through my whole body and I found myself comfortably wanting to stay there. There was simply no pain, no pestering thoughts, no struggles to occupy my mind in any way; it brought an empty relief that I was in so much need right now. So when I stirred a bit, a few specks of light invading my closed eyelids, my mind stirred uncomfortably,  wanting not to abandon the safe haven it had created and willing me to go back to sleep once again. It literally felt like I was lying against the softest of feathers and the sweet warmth enveloping my body was just in the right temperature to lull me back into oblivion. Alas, a shifting sound came from somewhere beside me as someone moved, pulling me into alertness and abruptly chasing away any trace of sleep left in me.

   My eyes opened tiredly and I found myself staring onto a foreign ceiling. Looking around, I noticed that I was on a king sized bed in a rather luxurious bedroom ([137-630x351](http://www.architectureartdesigns.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/137-630x351.jpg) ). Everything around me was bathed in the strong sunlight pouring through the large window-walls on the right side of the room that was painted in a dark brownish, steely grey and white color, from the covers of the bed to the color of the walls with the entirety of the bedroom being styled in a modern way. The lights on the ceiling were nothing more that small specks of glass, highlighting the different black and white canvases that hanged from the walls, depicting vertical lines and splashes of black color. Other than that, the room was only decorated by the bed and the two nightstands on both sides of it, where two beautiful lamps rested grandly. I would have noticed many more things of my surroundings, had it not been for the fact that my eyes came to rest on the figure of MC herself, sitting quietly on a nearby armchair and waiting patiently for me to wake up.

  As soon as the girl noticed me staring at her, she unclasped her hands from under her chin and straightening up, smiled widely.

  ‘Are you feeling better?’ she asks worriedly, her eyebrows meeting over her eyes. In contrast with when I met her, a light had come back to her eyes and she smiled easily, letting go of the constant worry and horror she had experienced. All of her wounds were treated very carefully –some of the wound requiring stitches from what I could see– and she had taken a bath, which chased away the remaining blood over her face. Even if the dark circles remained under her eyes, she was noticeably calmer than before. It was a wonder though why she was still here.

  ‘Where am I?’ I asked and was surprised to find out that my own voice was barely above a whisper. My throat was killing me, making me sound raspy and rough.

  MC shifted more towards me ‘You’re in the second guest room of the house.’ She informed me calmly ‘You passed out cold when we returned yesterday and the doctors said you should remain undisturbed until you wake up.’

   Sighing deeply, I try to raise myself just a bit to rest better on the pillows behind me, only for a scorching pain to pierce through me and throw me back messily. A loud cry escaped my lips before I had the chance to control it and MC ejected herself towards me; wrapping her delicate hands around me, she helped me rest better by throwing my whole weight on her.

   ‘You should take it easy for now; or else you’re going to end up in ICU and we don’t want that right?’ she smiled brightly at me and I nodded.

  ‘Thanks for that.’ I honestly said and raised one of my bandaged hands, examining it closely ‘What did the doctors say?’

   ‘That you’re lucky to be alive; reckless to engage in combat for so long and with so many people. But then again, if your friendship with Seven is anything to go by, I’m not even surprised anymore.’ MC sighed loudly, leaning heavily back on her chair.

   She was trying to reprimand me, I knew. But her relieved aura dissolved any attempt to sound gloomy and austere; she was grateful to be out of there above all else and it was only humane to feel that way.

   ‘I got the job done, didn’t I?’ I simply shrug but wince a bit from the pain. MC snaps her eyes back at me, the brown orbs flashing with anger.

  ‘A twisted and badly bruised wrist, an almost dislocated left arm, eight broken ribs, a punctured lung, broken nose, cut lip and a serious case of concussion that almost tore your skull in half is nothing even remotely close to ‘got the job done’.’ She says in one breath ‘You’ve been out for almost a day! It’s almost six in the afternoon.’

  Sighing deeply, I return her heated glare with a leveled of my own ‘MC I’ve seen worse days than this, believe me..’

  ‘I don’t care!’ she declares stubbornly ‘I can’t stand by when someone is aching, much less if it’s because of me!’ she snapped.

   Her eyes were a bit watery and her pleasant, youthful voice was slightly shaking with all the emotions coursing through her veins as she yelled at me and I regarded her calmly; my face was the very well trained mask of indifference and calmness. It was one I had many years to perfect, so there was no way for it not to slip in place automatically. MC –for what I could see and understand right now– was a rather just and kind-hearted person. A bit stubborn. Too good for her own good. She reminded me of someone I knew long ago and an all too familiar pain coiled inside my heart; focusing my thoughts angrily, I drowned it back down where it was resting forgotten. It did no good to dwell in the past, on moments I could no longer alter, where nightmares only rested. Alas, the resemblance was uncanny and I couldn’t help but soften considerably towards the girl standing right in front of my eyes; all righteousness and sweetness.

  ‘I don’t really care what happens to me MC.’ I breathe out in a sigh ‘And neither should you.’

 MC stared at me in curiosity; her eyebrows met in confusion written all over her face and her lips half-opened as her eyes watched my calm e/c own for a moment, before flashing with the light of realization.

 ‘You…you’ she choked, sitting up on the edge of her chair ‘You want to die. Don’t you?’

 ‘That’s rather absurd thing to say to someone who got you out of a dangerous cult.’

  She shook her head ‘Don’t lie to me. I can see it. What happened to you?’

MC’s hand shot out towards my own, trying to reach out to me both physically and mentally; trying to offer me a hand of console, of reassurance that someone was there to help lift my weight and help me out. Abruptly though, I pull my hand away and turn my gaze towards the bright window. I didn’t need this; I didn’t need anyone because none would ever be able to understand the magnitude of things. Of how bad of a sinner I was, thinking I could do anything. When I stood on the edge of the cliff and gazed deeply into the abyss, allowing myself to be drawn in by the sweet lullaby of its demons. I had dived in… and it was already too late for me by the time I realized what I had done. Because it is easy to enter… almost like breathing… but impossible to get out. I had payed dearly for that.

  ‘All I want is to go back home MC.’ My voice sounded both alien and cold even to me ‘I got you out, so it’s time to go back.’

  The girl’s eyes still shone with the unexplainable sadness she felt for me, along with the confusion about the things she had managed to pry out of me. But in the sound of my voice, she blinked hard and leaned back on her chair calmly; dropping the matters at hand for now and focusing on the issues still needing addressing.

  ‘About that. I wanted to make you an offer.’ She entwined her long fingers in front of her belly, an action so professional and calculating that reminded me of Jumin.

  I raised an eyebrow ‘Something tells me I’m going to hear it even if I say no.’

‘I want to hire you as my personal bodyguard.’ She blurts out ‘I’ve seen what you can do and I know just how dangerous Mint Eye is, so I want to hire you as my guard. The salary you’ll find very generous and you’ll see that I’m not too bad to be around. I just want someone I can trust beside me and I trust you.’ she steadily declared, fumbling with her fingers and pretty much looking anywhere but me in case she lost her newly found courage. It was only when a deep silence fell over us that she finally turned to meet my even stare.

  My mouth fell open ‘I decline your offer.’ I said bluntly.

Her mouth falls open ‘What?! Why?’

  ‘Because this was going to be just one time thing; a favor from long ago that I owed Luciel.’ I steadily inform her ‘You have to understand that I’m out of this life MC. I had my chance to get out and I took it, so now I’ve got a peaceful place to return to and I have absolutely no plans on giving it up. You’re lucky not to have a full picture of what I mean –and better keep it this way– so you can’t understand me. I’ve got to go before my life and the ability to choose for myself slips out of my grasp once again. So I’m sorry, but this is a no.’

  By the time I finished my sentence, a soft knock came from the door before it opened and the tomato-headed man I knew so well popped his head inside. His golden eyes fell on us and his mouth opened in a bright smile, but the heavy atmosphere hanging from the air was not something you could ignore. I gazed sternly at Luciel. MC stared into nothing in particular, her eyes once again watery and her bottom lip trembling.

  ‘Is it a bad time my kitties?’ the man asked cautiously, his amber eyes shifting from me to MC.

   ‘No, we’re done here. Can you help me up?’ I say and move the blankets I was covered with to the side.

  Luciel pulled himself together fast, though his gaze still shifted between us as he made his way towards me and pretended nothing was amiss at all.

  ‘Thought you’ll never ask! Knight Seven-Zero-Seven is here to help his milady out~!’

 Gently and carefully, he passed his one hand behind my knees and the other on my waist before picking me up from the bed with little to no effort at all. Instinctively, I wrapped my arms around his neck, with the heavy bandages keeping me from having direct contact with his skin; now, I was free to gaze upon the rest of my body. Most of it was covered in either clear white bandages or in ugly blue-purplish spots that indicated where I had been hit. Someone had changed me into a pair of shorts and tank top pajamas and from the white cat design; it wasn’t that difficult to actually guess.

   Luciel made his way out of the room, chatting merrily about all the ‘achievement-unlocked’ I had managed to make last night, a conversation that didn’t really need my help, since he analyzed the movements one by one; he didn’t really give me the chance to add to it. Behind us, MC walked silently, her eyes focused intently on the floor as she savagely bit down her lip, her thoughts traveling away from her surroundings. If it was any other time, I would have accepted her proposal; but I was as clear as day right from the start: I would go back to Greece.

   As we approached the living room, the first thing I noticed was the complete lack of the equipment used previously for the mission. Everything had returned on how they were before and truth be told, it was a place of silent luxury. From the simple but elegant furniture of the two living rooms –one made ut of white velvet and the other from black leather–, the marble fireplace and the glass dining table, all the way to the teak wood covered walls, the off white curtains and the majestic chandeliers. It was easier now to see the true beauty of the place, the style an elegance it gave off.

  All the R.F.A. members were gathered on the white velvet living room, their conversations dying out as we approached. Zen looked positively pissed off and glaring daggers to the coffee table right in front of him as he had folded his hands over his sturdy chest; his ruby eyes turned to nail themselves on us and his face softened when he noticed me. right across from him, Jumin was calmly resting on the single armchair facing the rest of the members and I had to admit, he wore the most relaxed expression I had seen on him; his shoulders were loosely resting against the soft surface as he steadily regarded the envelopes in front of him with a hint of a smile gracing his face. Yoosung and Jaehee were also there, whispering among themselves as Yoosung gently traced the spot where he had been shot. All of them turned to look at us as Seven carefully placed me on the sofa, before he and MC occupied the spots on my right and left.

  ‘______ how are you feeling?’ to my surprise, Jaehee was the first one to speak up, her voice laced with nothing but worry; it was odd to her previous cold demeanor the day before.

 ‘Quite the beating you took there.’ Zen sighed deeply but I gently nodded.

  ‘This is nothing actually. I’ve seen worse.’

‘Still, we’ll have to take care of you for a few days kitty-yeo. I’ll make sure not to leave you out of my sight.’ Seven gently said beside me, ignoring the warning glare I threw at him provocatively, as if I did nothing.

  ‘You should let us take care of you ____. Mc is safe because of you, so we’ll all make sure to return it in any way we can.’ Jaehee reprimanded me.

 ‘Jaehee’s right! We’ll all help since Mint Eye is still out there and they’ve seen you now _____!’ Yoosung leans forward worriedly.

  ‘About Mint Eye’ I say and turn to address Jumin ‘What are you going to do about them? They know now that you’ve got someone helping you, so I suggest you protect yourselves now more than ever.’

   Jumin nods calmly at my words and his steely grey eyes regard me for a bit, before he actually decided to dignify me with a response; his tone calm and lacking the coldness of the previous days.

  ‘Luciel is already trying to collect data about them; when all information is collected we’ll make the necessary moves to expose them to the public. Thanks to you, we now have our member back and we owe you our eternal gratitude. I owe you more than the rest. Believe me, we are not naïve enough to underestimate an opponent so ready to move against us like them.’

  ‘Even if I hate it’ Zen spoke up right then, interrupting the raven haired man ‘Trustfund-kid is right. We need to stay on high alert and stay together. It’d be harder to attack us.’

  ‘Why don’t we go to the police already? We’ve got a witness we can use to end them.’ Yoosung suggests, his eyes gleaming with the hope of taking down such a dangerous foe.

  Though to his dismay, Seven laughs dryly right beside me ‘Sweet Yoosung-nite, we can’t do that. How are we going to explain MC getting out?’

   I nod solemnly ‘I agree with Seven. Nobody can involve the police, since what I did is nowhere even near legal and we don’t know if they’ve got power over them as well!’

  ‘But what if they do something worse this time? This isn’t a crime TV series, we can really get hurt.’ Yoosung fights back, his eyes filling with bewilderment and his tone rising.

  ‘For now’ Jumin interrupts before things can get out of hand and Yoosung’s fists seem to loosen ever so faintly at the older man’s steely tone ‘We collect data and remain on a low profile as we discussed. If they do start any attack against us, my security will be there to stop them. We cannot wait for them to attack nor become paranoid, because then, we are going to place ourselves in danger. I advice we remain calm for now.

   As the man finishes his sentence, all heads nod in agreement, some more thoughtfully than others. Everyone almost sighs audibly and chatter immediately breaks out among them, vividly talking about which was the best possible way to stay safe. It was true though; if they lose their composure, they’re going to be nothing more than sitting ducks to be toyed with. Looking at Luciel, I find his golden eyes staring back at me with uncharacteristic seriousness, which triggered all alert switches inside my head. Unwillingly, I felt my heart tighten; these people were in grave danger and all possibilities lay open in front of them: if the cult was daring enough as to kidnap one of them already, who knew what they’d do afterwards. And also, they had to think about what to do with Unknown.

  ‘If you allow me to give you some advice’ I speak up over the incoherent talking, breaking my gaze away from Luciel’s as we silently agreed, and turn to gaze at each and every one of them seriously ‘Stay as far away from Unknown as you possibly can. If you see him, run; do not get close to him or linger any longer than you should wherever he is around.’

   In my words, Jaehee and Zen exchange worried gazes. Yoosung openly stares at me with his jaw dropping and horror blooming on his childish characteristics, while Seven passes a comforting hand over my shoulders and MC stoops her head even further down. Good; this is the proper reaction they should have.

   The first one to break the uncomfortable silence was Jaehee. Leaning forward to sit on the edge of her chair, she pressed her lips into a thin line ‘Was he really dangerous?’

  ‘He was deranged; insane.’ A small voice spoke up right then and turning, I was MC raising her head to stare at everyone with courage. She was shaking; her bottom lip was trembling dangerously but her hands were tied in fists ‘There are no words to describe the man, but for argument’s sake, I would say he’s homicidally dangerous. He only kept me alive because his ‘ **Saviour’**  told him she needed me. I have zero doubt he would kill me if it wasn’t for her.’

  ‘The ‘ _Saviour_ ’ is a woman?’ Seven asks curiously and MC nods.

 ‘She is. I met her, but my eyes were blindfolded so I can’t describe her. If anyone is insane in there, it’s her. I remember her talking to me the very first days I was there, about the fact that I was a lost sheep and she was there to lead me to Eternal Paradise. At first I though she was just messing with me, but then she started talking about destroying the people who threw her inside the darkness and..’ her voice trailed off and she choked back tears. Jumin was already at her side, taking her small hand into his own and kissing it tenderly.

   There was something so intimate about that simple action that made e feel ashamed to actually witness it, so I turned my gaze away towards Luciel. The red-headed man noticed me almost immediately and his amber eyes shone with sweetness as he smiled tenderly at me, making my heart skip a beat inside me and I looked away before he had the chance to see the color rushing into my bruised cheeks.  _Damn you Luciel_! I though to myself.

 ‘No, no I’m fine Jumin. I can do this.’ MC spoke up again, wiping her tears with the back of her hand as Jumin kissed her head tenderly to give her the strength needed to keep going.

   The girl swallowed hard and drawing in a shaky breath, she gathered up her courage ‘For the most part she was kind to me. On the third day she made me an offer: she would let me go if I pledged my allegiance to Mint Eye and helped by sending her large amounts of money, as well as the guest lists from the parties. She said that since I was ‘your fiancée’, Jumin, I could find the necessary amounts.’ She choked and looked at her lover in determination ‘Of course, I downright refused; I’d never do this, not even if she killed me. she said she would… and gave me to Unknown.’

  ‘Holy fuck!’ Zen’s voice was the first one to be heard; the man swore loudly and ejected from his spot to walk around the sofa, throwing his hands in the air in an effort to contain his frustration before openly glaring at us ‘These people are fucked up in the head.’

  ‘They’re raising money for something. It’s quite obvious.’ Seven simply shrugged indifferently ‘Probably not for helping stray cats or funding astronauts. Or even their own line of energy drinks.’ He jokes.

  Jaehee rolls her eyes at Luciel ‘Of course not, but maybe we can track their movements. I’ll notify the intelligence unit.’

  ‘_____ is there anything you can do? Find out more by infiltrating again or….. something?’ Yoosung turns towards me hopefully, but I shake my head.

  ‘My work here is done. I’ve got a home to go back to.’

  ‘Really? You’ll leave us now that shit hit the fan love?’ Zen asks sadly, his shoulders dropping.

My jaw tightens in dismay ‘You told me to retrieve MC and I did. I have nothing left to do here Zen.’

  ‘She has a home to go back to.’ MC smiles and rests a hand on my bandaged own; her whole aura was warm and comforting but it did nothing but create an uneasy knot inside my stomach. I know she was nothing but sincere –I could feel it in the warmth of her hand and her brown eyes– alas I could not shake the feeling.

  ‘I’m always grateful for what you did for me ____. We all understand.’ She chokes out, trying to sound courageous.

   ‘Even if you don’t, I don’t have to explain myself to any of you. I did my part and now it’s time you do yours.’ I throw at them coldly, getting on my own two feet and ignoring the painful feeling erupting from my broken limps ‘Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need fresh air.’

   All eyes followed me as I made my way with a few steps to the huge double doors leading to a grand balcony; without looking back, I slide it open and pass on the open space, leaving behind me the whole R.F.A. and the problems it carried along with it. As I closed the door behind me, I felt whatever was connecting me with them dissolve, cut off with such a simple action like this one.

   It was a warm evening today. Walking towards the edge of the glass banisters, I felt the pleasantly arm breeze swipe through the few tall buildings like the one I was currently standing on right now. The breeze gently kissed my exposed skin, warming up the places blooming with ugly bruises that would persist for days. Letting out a deep breath, managing not to pain myself further, I watch the distant horizon where the sun plunged majestically over the faraway mountains. Its rays painted the vast firmament in bright oranges and deep purples, making you come to terms that only Nature herself is the greatest painter of them all. My (h/l) (h/c) locks waved gently in the air and I found a certain calmness resting inside my wild heart. The huge building was towering over all the rest, far away to drown all the sounds of the ongoing traffic, creating a private bubble of silence and serenity, making my mind marvel at the scenery I was presented with, but my heart was calm again, taking everything in as one drinks a cup of hot but sweet tea.

   It had been a while since I last felt this way. Surely not from the moment I had come in contact with the whole R.F.A. and Luciel. It didn’t need a genius to understand that maybe I had gotten too involved with them… Treating Yoosung, going out with Zen, hugging Luciel, comforting MC. I had gotten a bit carried away with them, allowing them to come just a single step closer. This was both wrong and extremely dangerous. So I’ve got to get away from here before it’s too late and no matter what all of them may say or think. Yes, MC’s still supporting words and Zen’s accusation only served to worsen the knot in my stomach. But they didn’t know. Nobody knew anything, with Luciel as the slight exception, but even he didn’t seem to actually understand. Maybe it’s for the best. If they understood, they would already be running for the hills.

   ‘Is my kitty feeling any better now with the clean air?’ a voice comes from behind me and Luciel walks up to rest his hands on the banister right beside me. His golden eyes searched the horizon excitedly and his red mane ruffled even more n the light breeze, before the man turned to look at me and gave me one of those smiles that make the world stop for a mere second.

   ‘Things were getting hectic inside, so I needed to relax a bit.’ I admitted, shrugging my shoulders and gazing towards the sun.

 ‘Ya, the guys can get a bit too awesome for words. But Defender of Justice is always here to help you relax!’ Luciel laughs and the sound fills the air, making my heart beat just a bit faster.

  I offer him a small smirk ‘I’d prefer it if they didn’t have any more expectations actually.’

‘They’re scared ____-yeo.’ Luciel gently reprimands me.

 ‘Who isn’t? Both you and me know how dangerous the situation is, I’d call them fools if they didn’t.’ I sigh tiredly and look at him seriously.

  Luciel fumbles in his spot, shifting his weight from one leg to the other and sighing deeply ‘How about you _____? I know you are in a worse state that you let out. You’re badly beaten up kitty and I’m worried.’ He confesses.

  His words betray the true worry he was feeling; even if he tried to hide it under the aloof façade he had created for himself. I knew him too well to fall for that. Did the rest of his friends know? Did they really know the depressed and scared man underneath? Before I had the chance to stop my mind, a sorrowful feeling erupted within me for the man.

  Instead, all I do is try my best to reassure him ‘I’m really fine Luciel. A few broken bones won’t stop me from going home.’

  ‘You know’ he fumbles in his spot again and looks away, his golden eyes falling everywhere but on me ‘I can always offer you the spare bedroom. Traveling with your injuries is a pain in the butt and we can catch up for the lost time with some Honey Buddha Chips and Dr. Pepper.’

  ‘Luciel I-‘

‘I promise I’ll behave, so no cat jokes or pranks!’ he interrupts me ‘I missed you _____.’

  His eyes finally turn to look at me, gold nailing itself on (e/c) and I can practically grasp the sincerity and desperation he s feeling. It was the same thing I saw all those years back, when I saw him for the last time and time had absolutely not made things easier. Cautiously, I feel his hand rising to rest on mine on the banister; his touch was breathtakingly warm, resonating through my veins and sending a hot shiver down my spine.

  ‘You’ll always have a home by my side. No matter what.’ His voice is firm, reassuring. Yet his eyes…pleading.

  My eyes burn me and I stubbornly blink away, trying to stop the tears from rising. No! This is not happening! I can control this, just don’t let it get to me!

  ‘Luciel, I thought we talked about this…’ I look away from him, trying to avoid his melted gold orbs.

‘We still need you here. I-‘

 Whatever Luciel was about to say, was suddenly interrupted by a piercing scream coming from inside the house. The man cuts his sentence abruptly and both our heads turn towards the direction it came from instinctively. Luciel is faster than me this time; one minute he was standing right beside me and the very next he is already crossing the distance, leaving me behind to struggle on my battered feet, cursing my luck with each painful and hurried step I took. My mind raced into a thousand possibilities, cold sweat bathed me and I clenched my teeth tightly to keep inside the screams threatening to spill. It sounded like MC; the voice was female for sure and high-pitched enough not to belong to Jaehee. What had happened now?

   Luciel disappeared inside the building and I shortly made my way inside as well. I almost stumbled on him as I passed the glass doors, since he had frozen solid on his spot. Curiously, I looked at him from behind, noting the tension of his sturdy back, but it wasn’t until my eyes wandered around that my breath caught inside my chest.

   If we didn’t have an extremely dangerous cult hot on our tracks, what I was seeing would surely be a source of laughter. It was like someone had ticked everyone’s nerves to the point of breakage. Jumin and Zen were arguing hotly over the coffee table. Jumin had slipped on his cold and distant mask, folding his hands over his sturdy chest. Zen on the other hand was absolutely livid with anger, pointing an accusing hand on Jumin and cursing on the man loudly. Among them was Yoosung; his head turned from one screaming man to the other, hands raised and trying feebly to stop them from screaming. Obviously, by the signs of light going off his eyes, he was failing miserably. Right at that point, Jumin had enough of Zen and started actually answering him, causing the silver haired man to flip his lid even more.

    Averting my attention from the two men, flinching from their yelling and instead searching for MC and Jaehee. Both women were sitting on the sofa. Jaehee was worriedly leaning towards the much smaller frame of MC –her eyes were filled with worry and her eyebrows meeting- resting her hands on the other girl’s shoulders as MC balled her eyes out. She was crying so hard that her whole body shook, causing her breath to come out ragged and almost non-existent, as the girl hugged and cradled herself desperately; tear-stained cheeks and coughing for air enough to form incoherent sentences nobody understood, she was having a full-out panic attack. Sorrow and confusion bloomed in my mind and I exchanged a worried gaze with Luciel before-

  ‘_____!!! YOU’RE HERE!!’ MC choked out a yell as she finally spotted me and before I really had the chance to realize what was going on, a mane of chocolate brown hair blurs my vision and a steely grip snakes around me, tightly squeezing me and eliciting a painful scream which passed unnoticed by the horrified girl.

  ‘MC, this…. This is too tight!!’ I clench my jaw forcefully as I tried to pry her away, to no avail nonetheless.

‘HE’S COMING!!! HE’S GONNA KILL US ALL! I TOLD YOU WE’RE NOT SAFE! I CAN’T GO BACK THERE. PLEASE! PLEASE!!’ she literally begged me.

  Still, my thoughts were all too confused to decipher what she meant or why she was hyperventilating.

‘Calm down MC. Calm down, nobody’s gonna get you, I’m right here!’

‘NO! YOU DON’T UNDERSTAND!! I’M REALLY, REALLY SCARED AND YOU’RE THE ONLY ONE WHO CAN KEEP ME SAFE! PLEASE! PLEASE! I’M BEGGING YOU!!!’ she cried out desperately, looking up at me with teary, horrified eyes.

   She wasn’t thinking straight; she needed to calm down and explain what was going on and if this panic attack continues, she’s going to pass out from hyperventilation. Sighing deeply and trying my best not to scream out from the pain emanating from my wounds, I hug her back and gently caress her back, trying to soothe her into calmness. At first, she doesn’t seem to budge; she continues to desperately cling on me and incoherently mumble her thoughts, until her shoulders relax just a tiny bit under my grasp.

  ‘Please _____! I don’t want to die and I’m so scared. Please, I’m begging you! Save me!’

  In her words, I completely freeze right where I was standing. My breath hitches and as my eyes blink, I’m no longer standing inside Jumin’s comfortable living room. Instead, the suffocating and nauseating smell of smoke and burning cloth reaches my nose in a huge dark cloud I am unable to prevent from inhaling and I’m suddenly into an all too familiar hallway, in a long forgotten house. The vivid flames reach to arc above my head in a majestic arc above my head and I can barely breathe as horror bathes me in cold sweat from top to bottom. Suddenly, I cannot move, I cannot speak. All I can really do is watch the flames dance threatenly around me, blinding me and keeping me trapped inside their lethal embrace like a cornered animal ready to be devoured. They will burn me alive; I will feel them reach out for my skin and leave behind only excruciating pain before reaching in to snatch my life away. And there was no way out of this hell.

   ~’ _Please help me! I don’t want to die! I’m so scared _____, save me!~_

  Abruptly, my eyes blink and I’m back at the living room.

I let out a breath I didn’t know I was holding; cold sweat covers the back of my neck and my stomach is ready to lurch at any given moment.

  ‘What the hell happened Jaehee?’ Luciel asks and even if he was standing right next to me, his voice is muffled like I’m listening to him through water.

  Jaehee hurries to give him what appeared to be a card and Luciel’s face falls into a confused frown at the picture of a large wheel with four angel-like creatures on its sides. The cloaked figure of a lady stood under the wheel, holding a small card on her hand, while she was also painted in the same purplish shades as the rest of the card. On the bottom under the Lady, a few words spelled ‘ _[Wheel Of Fortune](https://i.pinimg.com/originals/4d/fd/9c/4dfd9cd969e783949a9509dbf15fcd76.jpg)’_. Luciel flips it and seeing the other side, my breath hitched

_–I’ll take you down one by one. You’ll be begging for non-existent mercy– U_

Luciel’s face let go of his aloof mask once again and the man gave me a grave stare filled with hidden meanings. My heart sank and realization dawned to my weary mind.

  Wordlessly, I turn back to MC and gently coo her to relax, rubbing her back tenderly, like a little child.

 ‘Don’t worry MC’ my voice sounded alien even to me ‘I’ll stay right here with you. I promise.’


	11. Chapter 11 Strange Days

 

   As Seven pulled the car to a stop beside the sidewalk, I couldn’t help but stare a little bit at the grand coffee shop standing right beside us.

  It had been just about a week or so from the time I had managed to rescue MC and under the intense treatment I was given by a special set of doctors, my body was healing in far faster rates than what I was used to. Jumin and MC had gone all out to find the best set of doctors and the whole R.F.A was grateful enough for what I did to keep me company and be around me in any way they could in order to help. Jaehee was dropping by along with MC to help bathe me and anything else that was too awkward for me to ask of Seven; MC was always reassuring me that everything was going great and everyone was safe, while Jaehee brought some of her most famous coffee and kept the silent support which I was so grateful for. I mean, a girl needs her silent times every now and then. And surely enough, being around Seven and also having Zen and Yoosung around the house to make sure I was properly fed, did nothing to preserve the peace and silence. Honestly speaking, I was very grateful about the gesture and all that, but in the end they surely should have been pretty bored hanging out with me and Seven, since the medication I was on was knocking me out cold enough to sleep for the most part of the day. I didn’t remember when the last time I slept so deeply and so much was, but from the fast rates my wounds were healing and the lack of tiredness in any form inside my brain, I knew it was a long time ago.

  Fortunately for me though, the pain and brokenness of my body slowly but steadily started to withdraw. It didn’t hurt as much when I was breathing now and I didn’t need help to get up on my own two feet without screaming my lungs out; if I felt like a weakling and a baby for the most part of the week? I surely did and lemme just say I did not like it when my pride was wounded in any way. Who likes to be pampered like a weakling and gazed upon with nothing but pity?

  So the moment I felt my strength return, I convinced Seven that some fresh air would do me good and in fact, now that I exited the car and stand on my own on the sidewalk, I do feel rejuvenated and alive once again.

  ‘Surely you look more alive than before _____-yeo. Is it just you or the ‘sugars’? Tell me if you see any dragons.’ Seven joked as he walked around the car to stand beside me, close enough but not invading my personal bubble; his golden eyes were focused on the shop in front of us nonchalantly, but I could see his tension settling like a weight on his shoulders as the man rolled them out, a few pops sounding from here and there.

  ‘Nah, I’ll keep them for myself. This is some good shit you know. Finder’s keeper’s.’ I chuckle lightly and walk over to the door, grabbing the doorknob and pushing it open as Seven pouted behind me like a petulant little kid.

  ‘You’re mean! And to think I brought you all the way here!’ he motions exasperatedly all around us.

‘You just wanted an excuse to take the babies out for a ride and don’t you dare lie to me Luciel Choi.’ I bark sharply at him and the man throws his hands up in surrender, instinctively taking a step back.

  ‘Alright, alright. Guilty as charged.’ He raised his hands up in surrender and followed obediently behind me as I entered the warm space.

  Jaehee’s coffee shop was like a warm oasis in the dead of the winter. From the beautiful walls and floor made out of light sugar pine wood, to the sole crystal chandelier hanging from the ceiling in a beautiful octagonal shape with many ‘spikes’ protruding here and there on the pattern. The cute and spacious tables and chairs were made out of dark shedura as well as the counter behind of which Jaehee herself stood. Various metallic appliances I recognized –and some that I didn’t- rested behind her on the marble counter and the heavy aroma of freshly brewed coffee was hanging lazily from the air. Everything had a rustic aesthetic to it and the place was absolutely packed already, with calm and smiling people enjoying their free time and awesome coffee.

    Seven stood beside me and resting his hand on the small of my back, lead me gently towards the far back and near the beautiful ceiling-to-floor windows that covered the right side of the place, where I immediately spotted the rest of the R.F.A. Yoosung and Zen seemed to talk animatedly to one another as they both hunched over a book, while MC was typing away on her phone with a small smile dancing on her face. She reminded me of nothing like the scared, pale girl I had met in that godforsaken room and I was happy to see her back on her own feet, even if the bruises still stubbornly remained on her beautiful face. Behind us, Jaehee said a rushed hello as she served some customers and in her voice, Yoosung looked up and waved at us.

    ‘Move away peasants! God Seven and Princess _____ are here!’ Seven exclaims loudly and laughs, slapping Yoosung’s back so hard that the blonde man almost jumps out of his skin with a womanly shriek to accompany it.

  ‘Shut up Seven, nobody’s got time for your weirdness this early in the morning. Especially when I didn’t have my beauty sleep! How am I going to look heavenly now?!’ Zen rebukes him angrily but as soon as his red eyes turn to me, he smiles broadly, seemingly forgetting everything that upset him ‘Looking even more gorgeous today ____.’

  ‘Nobody understaaaaaaandsssss meeeeeee~’ Seven cries out theatrically, literally falling on Yoosung who cries out in discomfort and earning an irritated grunt from Zen; still, the devious smirk the red-head wears turns into a full out smile as the two other men scoop away and choose to sit next to MC instead, making space for both me and Seven to sit on the same sofa. And Seven knows he is victorious; the gleam of victory flashes like a beacon over his golden eyes. The only thing missing is the winning flags over his head and the fist pump in the air. Thankfully, he contains it.

  ‘What are you studying there Yoosung?’ I ask as I sit comfortably right next to Seven, slapping his hands away as he attempts to pinch my cheeks and fixing him with a glare that is enough to make him drop any thought to annoy me. Instead, his golden eyes fixate on the book Yoosung is reading and before the younger man really has any chance to realize it, Seven steals the book away with a fast move and exceptional ease.

  Still Yoosung only rolls his eyes exasperatedly and drops his head down in defeat ‘I’m studying for my upcoming test in my university. It’s my last year and I’ve only thought of dropping out like five times already.’ He admits.

  ‘You’ve come all this way Yoosung; it’d be a waste to give up now.’ MC tries to pacify him, but a loud laugh interrupts her abruptly.

  Seven exclaims an amused laugh and slams the book open on the table, making all the cups and the small plant resting on the table jump up from the impact ‘These are some tough exercises Yoosung-nite, are you sure you can make it? No LOLOL nights anymore~; ten bucks you will fail.’

‘Is this your way of supporting him?’ I scold Seven, folding my hands over my chest, but the man doesn’t give the slightest care.

  ‘He’s more supportive if you feed him Honey Buddha Chips.’ Yoosung sighs dejectedly.

‘I can always dress up like you and go take the test you know~! How’s that as support?’

  ‘Jesus Christ no!’ Zen and Yoosung exclaim in unison

‘I’ m not even over the nightmares I got from seeing you dressed as a cat last time.’ Zen shivers visibly, making a grimace and the sneezing in his hand loudly ‘Goddamnit, see?! How can I go to my rehearsal if I sneeze like that?!’ he points an accusing hand on Seven who only laughs even more.

  Scoffing to myself, I lean a bit further on the table ‘C’mon Zen, it’s not even real fur and I’ve seen him in the said costume and wasn’t even fazed. He looked a bit more like a cat like he does normally.’

  ‘That is the problem actually. If I swell up due to my allergy, the director is going to kick me out of the play. Then I’ll move in with you Seven and burn all your Honey Buddha Chips.’ Zen smiles a dangerous smile, making Seven gasp loudly, his golden eyes wide with surprise.

  ‘Not my chips you brute!’ he pouts like a child and I sigh loudly. This conversation was going nowhere and if they were going to rile Seven up like that, I would have to deal with the consequences. A loud Seven was tough to manage as it was so begin to imagine what a _whiny_ Seven was like… I’m not getting payed enough for this.

  Luck seemed to be on my side though, as Jaehee chose that exact moment to come greet us properly, holding two steaming mugs on each of her hands and smiling kindly; behind her, the waiters were still running up and down but no one was waiting to be served. Giving me and Seven our cups, she scooped to a seat beside MC and I was rejoiced to see she had made me a Burnt Caramel Macchiato, while Seven was served his usual hot coco with extra marshmallows and sprinkles on top. Thanking her with all my heart, I raise the cup to my lips and take a little sip out of the murderously hot but also dreamily sweet liquid, feeling it reach deep down into my very heart and warming it with a sweet sensation.

  ‘You have a new role Zen? It’s been a while since you did a musical.’ MC chuckles and shoves an ignorant Jaehee who was unconsciously staring at an ignorant Zen with pure adoration; after a week spend among them, I was rather curious as to how on earth the Casanova Zen failed to see it from miles away. The poke on the ribs though, brought Jaehee out of her stupor and she blinked sheepishly.

  ‘Is it another amazing role like the _Jekyll & Hyde_ one or is it a more edgy one like the _Promiscuous Jalapeno Topping_? Either way we’re buying tickets as soon as they’re out!’ Jaehee asks and MC fangirls a little bit besides her, nodding vigorously. It was one of those rare moments Jaehee dropped her austere tone and right before my very eyes, she seemed as young as she really was. It was a nice change to see her relaxed.

  Zen nodded ‘More like _Jekyll and Hyde_. It’s the _Phantom of the Opera_ this time and I am playing the deeply wounded and dark Phantom himself!’ he beams and makes a little bow, earning a rolling of Yoosung’s eyes and causing Seven to choke on his drink.

  ‘There goes his sanity for the rest of the month… Rest in peace calmness and welcome Zen’s ego…’ Yoosung mutters and Seven nods in agreement.

 ‘You’ll be missed.’ He adds solemnly, raising his hands in prayer.

   ‘It’s not that bad actually.’ I speak up and smile to Zen, earning a pout from Seven ‘The Phantom is indeed a dark and sadistic person, but deep inside all he longs for is someone to accept him for what he really is: a wounded person with scars from his past he cannot let go of. Growing up as a monster isn’t the easiest environment is it? I trust you Zen, you’ll do a splendid job. And of course we’ll come see you, right girls?’ I nod at the two other females who are quick to agree with me.

  Yet I don’t fail to catch up the burning sensation on the left side of my face as a certain someone had nailed his gaze onto me as the conversations around us ignited again. None of us spoke, neither him nor I, and I made sure to steadily keep my eyes nailed on my cup as I drunk away slowly and calmly. Seven was not the only one who could slip on an impenetrable mask when he wanted to and I’d be damned before I let him read through my own. Two can play this game and since I decided to stay here, that didn’t mean anything would change both between us and towards the rest of the R.F.A. I was here solely to capture the cult and keep MC safe until it is done. Then, we’d go our separate ways. Nowhere in there was any room left for sentiments.

   At some point Jaehee had to resume her work and left us with a court nod, resuming her rounds around the shop to make sure everything and everyone was alright and content with everything. It was around that time that Yoosung finally got up to go to his classes and Zen’s phone went off, with the man saying it was a call he couldn’t ignore this time. Seven and MC fell into polite conversation and it was evident that both of them were comfortable enough with one another in order to joke around freely. Apparently, Jumin had returned to his job first thing today morning; being the workaholic he was, it was only expected to have to return so soon and MC sighed at the fact he probably would have a load of work waiting for him at the office. Meaning many late night hours of constant work. Meaning a very displeased Chairman Han, who was oblivious of all the things happening in his son’s life. Seven assured her that progress was being made in uncovering files related to Mint Eye, but not as much as he would hope, since Unknown proved to be a difficult opponent to beat; Luciel surely liked a capable opponent, but it was proving more of a challenge than he firstly though. No wonder these past few mornings I found him passed out on his office, the keyboard pattern plastered upon his face like a tattoo. Still, no threats other than the last warning came our way, something that was highly abnormal. It was a relief even if I didn’t quite believe it was a good thing.

   At some point, MC and Seven were both looking at their phones, one to see if any progress had been made on the codes he was working on to infiltrate Mint Eye’s database and the other checking her fiancé to see if everything is alright. It was that moment that a sharp movement drew my attention and turning, I saw a raging Zen walking over to us like a bull in a china shop. His face was as red as his eyes and a small thunder cloud was lurking above his head, throwing him lightning every now and then.

  ‘I cannot fucking believe this!’ he exclaims and slams his phone against the table, making us all jump.

‘What’s the matter Zen?’ I dare to ask and the man grits his teeth in absolute dismay, a rich and colorful variety of swear words leaving his mouth.

  ‘This was my manager at the phone. He went up and resigned from helping me!!! I can’t believe this! He is going to America and called me to let me know he’ll no longer manage me!!! DAMN IT!!!’ his fists connected with the table once again, drawing the attention of some nearby people.

   ‘Calm down, I’m sure there is something we can-‘

‘It’s already too late! I have rehearsals coming up next week; I can’t possibly search for another one!’ Zen interrupted MC, throwing a hand over his face in an attempt to calm himself down, but ended up glaring at my cup of coffee like it was his life-long nemesis.

  ‘Didn’t he suggest you another one? The least he can do is that.’ I try to pacify him.

  ‘He did but I don’t really know. He suggested a friend of his that is a manager, but I don’t know her, haven’t chosen her and what if she falls for my amazing looks? I can’t afford a scandal!’

  Aaaaand there is Zen’s narcissism kicking in. MC besides him laughs quietly and I cannot hold back a smile of my own as the man fumes and fails to see the reactions he has drawn from the ones around him; but if the pride is back, then he is going to be alright.

  ‘Zen, meet with the manager and if you don’t like her we can always run a background check on her to see-‘

‘Guys’ Seven speaks up, drawing our attention ‘We have a problem.’

 Without as much as a second word, a very silent and suddenly serious Seven turns his phone screen towards us; there, on the screen, written with bold black letters is an article about an executive businessman who was found murdered this morning. My eyes furrow above my eyes and grabbing the phone, I scroll and read the whole article for myself. It was enough to alert Seven and I don’t have to read too much myself in order to find out what was happening. The moment I do, my blood runs cold inside my veins and my mind is thrown into alert mode; I can literally feel the gears twisting and turning. The businessman was a high ranked inside the society of Seoul’s industries and he was in possession of many companies that focused on many fields of action and offering jobs to hundreds of people each year. He was wealthy, a philanthropist and a helper of the community in general. Apparently, he was found murdered inside his own house today morning, a single knife piercing though his heart and a blunt force trauma on his head that apparently knocked him out. Yet this wasn’t the most disturbing thing. No, MC didn’t hold her breath sharply and Zen didn’t lose all his color from the pictures taken from the businessman’s bloodstained carpet.

  It was what was drawn into one of the walls that made me switch into attack mode.

It was only a single drawing and a letter.

  It was an eye and an M. All too familiar.

Mint Eye.

  ‘They’re killing people now? Just what the fuck are they doing?’ I mumble under my breath and turn to look at a serious Seven, who only reflects my own questions with tightened lips.

  ‘This is bad! This is so bad!’ MC exclaims and grabs my hand on the table, holding it among her two own for sheer life; panic had thrown a dark shadow over her eyes and she was breathing heavily, moments away from a panic attack ‘What are we going to do?!’

  ‘Keep our cool for starters. We don’t know what they were after or what the businessman did.’ I reassure her and beside her, Zen scoffs in agreement.

  ‘To be targeted by them, means he was no good. Did trustfund kid know him by any chance?’ he asks and folds his hands over his large chest, looking at the almost frantic MC with sympathy.

  The girl nods ‘Not that I know of…’

  ‘You should ask him as soon as he gets home tonight MC. Even if he doesn’t know him Chairman Han might and we need all the info. They must have heard about it.’ Seven informs her as he furiously types away on his phone screen ‘We should all go home and stay there for now. Me and _____ we’ll see this through, we promise.’

   For the first time, I agreed wholeheartedly with Luciel ‘Thank God my injuries are getting better. I’ll go out one of these days to investigate. If they are going this far, we must resolve this issue fast.’ I inform them, but this time Seven cuts me off.

  ‘You’re not healed enough to go out yet kitty. It would be too dangerous.’ He says seriously.

‘I don’t believe I’m saying this, but I agree with the alien ______.’ Zen tries to pacify me as he sees my eyes flashing with anger ‘Out there you’re all alone and with Unknown lurking around, not even I would like to run into him on a dark alley.’ He shivers visibly but I was having none of that.

  In a flash, my hand lands hard on the wooden table with a loud bang, making all the cups jump up and MC to let out a shriek of surprise she tries to choke by throwing a hand over her mouth. Seven stops typing and openly stares at me as Zen’s lips half open in awe. Yet I was having none of this shit.

  ‘If any of you has a trained in hand-to-hand combat agent that knows about Mint Eye and the situation going on around us, capable of holding his own against them, then by all means do introduce him now.’ My voice was low, threatening, almost coming out like a sharp whisper as I glared daggers at the people around me ‘Until then, I suggest to shut up and let me do my job. I’ve seen worse than a bunch of deranged cultists and I’ll be having them for breakfast, so the moment I decide to, I’ll go out. Understood?

  None of them spoke.

  ‘Good. Now, I suggest we all return to the safety of our homes.’ I calmly say.

 

~ * ~

 

‘____-yeo, this girl yesterday said she recognized me from the vegetarian club, but I’ve never met herbivore!’ Seven’s voice rings in my ears, as the man laughs to himself and continues typing away on his computer, with the machine softly buzzing under the desk I was sitting on.

   ‘What do you call a dinosaur with an extensive vocabulary?’ the man doesn’t seem to be disheartened by the lack of response from my part, smiling a dazzling Cheshire grin ‘A thesaurus!’

  Sighing loudly, I flip through the pages I was checking for a little while now, trying my very best to ignore the diminishing attention span of Seven to the mission at hand. After coming back from the café, both of us went straight to work –with enough whining to last for a damn lifetime- in order to see what had really happened to that businessman. Seven had printed out all the police records from the crime scene and handed them to me and I made myself comfortable on the free side of his desk, folding my legs under me and keeping him in check as he went through all of the personal info and accounts of the deceased.

   All these had taken us quite a few hours, many empty Dr. Pepper cans and Jaehee’s special coffees to come up with nothing of importance other than the Mint Eye symbol on the wall. No weird meetings, no strange account withdrawals and deposits, nada. Not a single clue of foul play other than the murder itself. My head had long ago started to pain me, my meninxs pounding hard against my skull, so I couldn’t really blame Seven for getting tired as well. The puns though, were a whole different matter.

   ‘I once tried to catch some fog…. I mist!’ he chuckles and spins around in his chair like a little child –an overgrown one at that-, pulling into a stop right in front of me.

   He leans in, his golden eyes trying to catch mine ‘How does Moses make his tea? Hebrews it!’

‘That’s it alien!’ I exclaim and shoot my head up with a sharp move.

   Before Seven really has the chance to avoid it, the papers I was holding smack against his left cheek. His face is forced to the side, his glasses sliding almost at the edge of his nose, but my blast wasn’t heavy enough to actually do anything but surprise him.

  It doesn’t really matter, as Seven grabs his heart and cries out ‘Fatality! Round won; prepare for the next round!’

‘C’mon, I didn’t hit you that hard. Though you do deserve a nice whooping of your ass for slacking off.’ I roll my eyes exasperatedly and gather my papers once again.

   I don’t miss the way Luciel’s eyebrows shoot up and almost meet with his red mane ‘Oh please kitty, you can whoop my ass anytime~! Or should I whoop yours?’ he gives me a devious grin and a wink.

   ‘Still as perverted as always I see.’ I mumble, trying to suppress the shiver that ran down my spine wildly. _What the hell was that?!_

Luciel does me no favors ‘Innocent kitty, don’t act like you don’t like it~! I’ll behave, I promise! It’s going to be like old times!’ he winks and by now I’m positive that the heat spreading over my cheeks at my wild memories, resonates with the depths of my stomach.

  Swallowing down my rich variety of weird emotions, I scoff and focus once again on my papers ‘It already _is_ like old times! I’m actually working double to allow you to slack off.’

   ‘But I’m tiiiiiiiiiireeeeeeeeed’ he pouts but his whining is interrupted by the sound of the doorbell.  

 Seven gives me zero time to comprehend what’s going on, as he jumps up excitedly, yelling ‘FOOD’ and runs out of the glass room, leaving me to stare at him as he quickly runs to the door. I sigh. I had forgotten how it was like when it was just me and Seven the big baby back in the days, yet no matter how much I wanted to be annoyed by him, a weird mixture of feelings were steadily brewing in the depths of my heart and mind. I was not going to guess what they were because no matter what, they would be hopeless and more than simply dangerous for the both of us. And in the end, I would still leave, so where was the point to begin with?

  Pushing those thoughts aside, I hop off the desk and make my way to the kitchen, preparing to set the table as Seven walked in with two full bags from a nearby sushi restaurant.

  ‘What do you say we watch a movie and eat kitty? I’ll let you choose what to watch~.’ he winks and smirks a Cheshire grin he knew I would be unable to resist ‘I still have your favorite movie you know’ he raises his head dramatically in the air and puffs like a peacock under my unwillingly amused stare ‘ _Far over the Misty Mountains cold, the dungeons deep and caverns old, we must away, ere break of day, to seek our pale enchanted gold~!’_

 _‘The dwarves of yore made mighty spells, while hammers fell like ringing bells, in places deep, where dark things sleep, in hollow halls beneath the fells..’_ I finish the rest of the verse, laughing a little bit as Seven threw his hands –which were still holding the bags- in the air and yelled with mirth filling his eyes.

 _‘_ YOU SHALL NOT PAAAAAAAAAAAAASSSSS!’

And with that, he dashed off into the living room, leaving me behind laughing and following him after I grabbed two plates and a few Dr. Pepper cans from the fridge. To say Seven had pretty much ordered the whole catalogue would be an understatement, because by the time I reached the couch, all I could see was a huge variety of sushi decorating the table. Ebi, sake and tako nigiri along with my favorite spicy tuna, California and rainbow rolls, it was a true feast. I dearly wished this meant Seven was taking better care of his diet but the empty Honey Buddha Chip bags lingering by his desk said otherwise. Times like this make me wonder how this man manages to survive with only two hours of sleep and nearly no food at all.

  Pushing these thoughts back to oblivion, I fill my plate with food and plop myself down to the couch next to Luciel. The movie began and we ate silently, every now and then sharing some random comments regarding the plot or the characters.

   Silence fell among us, with me expecting it to be utterly uncomfortable; only that it wasn’t. Luciel was calmly and lazily leaning against the sofa, hand thrown behind it and feet propped on the small coffee table; he had removed his shoes and the usual jacket, allowing me a full view to the black tank top underneath which was straining attractively against his well built muscles. He really was different from the last time I had seen him. Even if the warm radiance that smelled of honey and butter was slowly but steadily enveloping my cold body, his appearance had turned deliciously manly; his hair was in a very tempting disarray, calling you to trace your fingers through and discover for yourself how impossibly soft they felt. His arms, toned and steady, ready to wrap around you and keep you warm and safe…So safe… like nothing could ever touch you. And his voice… I do remember –even if I don’t admit it- how low it can deep, acquiring a rasp oh so tantalizing as he sighs right next to my ear, his body cupping perfectly against mine as he moves teasingly slow yet har-

  ‘Oh! I almost forgot kitty!’ he speaks up, pulling me abruptly out of my daydream.

  _What the fuck was I thinking?!!_ I scream internally.

Blinking sheepishly, I see him shoving his hand in his pocket, searching for something and giving me enough time to calm myself down and chase away the blush on my cheeks before it betrayed me.

  ‘Since Unknown traced your old phone, I bought you a new one!’ he says and presents me the new device which I highly doubted it was released to the public just yet.

  Hesitantly, I take it ‘Thank you Seven…’ I mutter.

  He beams ‘I took the liberty to hack into it, so now nobody can trace you, plus a red light flashes if the incoming call is monitored.’

   ‘With all the shit going on, I’m sure I’ll need it.’ I mutter solemnly.

‘Doesn’t all this remind you of the old times? When it was just you and me and the Agency’s shitload that never ended?’ he turns to look at me, leaning on his side to the sofa and resting his head on his hand.

  His golden eyes are fixated on me, but I stubbornly kept mine on the new white phone ‘I remember when you caught chickenpox in our mission in Sweden and you were scratching yourself so hard, you actually forced me to handcuff you to the bed.’ I smile at the memories of a whiny, delirious from the fever Seven chained to the double bed and nonetheless trying to scratch himself in any way he could.

  ‘You were mean to your Defender of Justice!’ he whines but almost immediately exclaims in victory ‘I got my revenge for that though, when I pushed you along with me in that pool in Italy! Boy, were you scared! My alien kitten was freaking out!’ he laughs.

   In response, I slap him playfully on the chest ‘That’s because you know I can’t swim or dive, you human-sized cat!’

  ‘Aouch! C’mon, you know I love it when I’ve got you trapped kitty! You’re adorable when you’re whining.’ He says and sighs, playful aura suddenly turning nostalgic ‘I remember when we broke into the Nagoya Museum Planetarium in Japan and watched the stars until the sun came up. You kept pointing at the constellations and I pretended not to see them as an excuse for you to lean on me.’ he admits with a smirk, his golden eyes filling with bittersweet memories we had shared in what seemed to be eons ago.

  Exasperatedly I let out a puff of air ‘The guard almost caught us that time… We went for ice-cream later and you kept carrying me on your back like it was nothing. The sakura trees were so beautiful at the time, I had literally wished for time to stop –if only for a moment, for a day- so we could just be with one another, without all the shit about the missions and the killings and the fucking fear… We were only seventeen for fuck’s sake!’ I exclaimed angrily, passing a hand through my (h/l) (h/c) locks in an attempt to calm my nerves down.

   Luciel kept his gaze focused on me, his golden eyes liquid and so filled with emotions that for a mere second, my breath stopped. Before my very eyes, inches away, was the real Luciel only I knew. The man under the aloof mask of memes and jokes, the one wounded and afraid; the child that had seen all too much of the world and was absolutely terrified of it. I knew that side all too well; I had one of my own after all.

  ‘How did we end up like this ______? You know nothing has changed from my side, so why are we not like before? I miss you.’ he admits, liquid gold melting away with a voice that’s barely above a whisper.

  It broke my heart and left it to pieces, but there was nothing I could do to ease his pain anymore.

 ‘You know exactly why Luciel.’ My voice sounds cold even to me and I dare not meet his gaze ‘Everything’s changed and we’re not the same people we used to be. Now, we can see the world for what it is: a shitplace with people worse than animals and beasts. I won’t do this again and I hoped all those years would rill it to your mind as well. It’s far too late for me now, but it doesn’t have to be for you. And I refuse to do this to you.’

   Without a second thought, I get up and walk off, leaving Seven alone.


	12. Chapter 12 Ravenlight

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I'm so terribly sorry for taking like ~forever~ to update this story ;_; university classes were a bitch and exams surely did me no favors :/ Buuuut, I'm finally back on track with the storyline and from now on, updates will come every two weeks. September is also exam period and I need to study till I drop dead, but I promise to at least meet the deadline of one chapter every two weeks :3 I'm always really happy to read your comments, so don't hesitate darlings and leave your thoughts, it helps me grow as a writer! Here are 17 pages to make up for the lost time ^^ Have a fantastic day/night <3

 

‘You want to give me all this…’

‘Yeap! All for you kitty!’

  ‘Luciel Choi this better not be one of your jokes or I swear to God-‘

  ‘No, no.’ he places a soft hand on my mouth, shushing me effectively with a large cat-smile splitting his face in half, completely ignoring my piercing glare which was not amused in the least.

   ‘I mean it. Either way, they don’t really fit me and you need them more than I do.’ The man simply shrugs, his golden gaze wandering around the surprisingly huge room we were currently in.

   To say this morning had dawned on me more peculiar than ever, would actually be the understatement of the century. After the reminiscing we had subjected ourselves in last night and the way I chose to storm out of that particular conversation, my dreams had been nothing but a mess of memories fighting their way back into my mind, trying to escape the deep confinements I had locked them in; they clawed on my unprotected mind like animalistic demons starving for a meal and I spent the entirety of the night tossing and turning restlessly. Of course, that did not go well with the remaining injuries I had, so when my eyes finally opened, I realized it was the dull pan from my broken ribs that had pulled me out of my already ruined sleep.

  Groaning grumpily, I dragged my corpse to release some of the pain with a nice warm shower and stripping completely, I found some of the greenish bruises stubbornly clung onto my skin. I won’t lie, the pain and the injuries are still there and probably will remain for the rest of the month, yet I managed to keep myself at bay, using the pretty awesome pills the doctors gave me.

   Luciel had been his usual cheery self this morning. He had spent almost the entirety of the night completing some of the work he had for the Agency and barely had the opportunity to sleep for over three hours and the heavy dark circles under his eyes were a sure proof for that. Still, he greeted me cheerfully, saying he had a nice, extraterrestrial surprise for me. I had eyed him cautiously over my plate of freshly fried bacon and eggs, watching him as he restlessly went around the room, explaining all about both the amazing surprise he had prepared for me, that most surely would make me squeal like a fangirl, never standing at a single spot for more than a few seconds, mixing his narrative with random information he had dug up for the dead businessman that were of no help whatsoever. There’d been more Mint Eye sightings all around town and even a mention of them on the local news. All at the same time, I was eating my breakfast with the extreme velocity of a sloth. Seven needed sleep and he needed it now, before the sugar induced shock mixed with the complete lack of sleep –for what I suspected was at least three days- could kill him. I may be a heartless bitch, but goddamn someone had to stop him from actively trying to kill himself.

   So that’s how I ended up inside his surprisingly vast walk-in wardrobe under the stairs, looking incredulously at the right wall laced with everything a fashion crazy person would ever dream about. From shoes to hats, from lingerie to some of the most beautiful coats I had ever seen in my life, Luciel’s closet had it all and way, way more. Every single wall inside this windowless room was covered in clothes and ranks along the space in between. On the left wall, covering only 1/3 were the entirety of Luciel’s clothes, while the rest –as well as the far back wall- was covered in cosplay clothes that pained me to even look at.

  ‘Seven you didn’t use to have so many female clothes… do I even want to know why you do now?’ I ask rhetorically, folding my hands over my chest with a sigh and allowing my gaze to wander around.

   Beside me, Luciel chuckles uncomfortably ‘They’re simply the ones the Agency was throwing away and I thought, since you never really know, to keep them… other than cosplaying.’ He chuckles yet again, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly ‘And now that you’re here, they’re yours!’

  Without controlling it, a smile pulls my lips and I look at Seven with nothing but softness for his goofy but sincere self ‘Alright, thank you, but let’s agree on something okay?’ I suggest easily.

  Maybe it was the calm smile I gave him. Maybe it was even the calm tone but in the sound of my words, Luciel’s smile freezes and eventually dissolves as the man regards me carefully, eyes switching between me and the door; he was probably wandering if I was about to try something on him and in response, the mask fell on his face and his hands flexed on his sides. Cautiously. Waiting for the threat to pounce on him savagely.

 ‘Suggestion?’

  I rolled my eyes ‘Don’t freak out, I won’t throw away your Honey Buddha chi-‘

‘That’s what you said last time!’ he accuses childishly.

‘For the love of God Luciel!’ I chastise him ‘I’ll accept the clothes and what not, if you promise me to go to sleep right now. You’re barely standing straight Defender of Justice…’

  His gaze shifts almost immediately, eyebrows shooting up to almost get lost in his hairline ‘Are…are you worried for me little alien?’ he dramatically grabs his chest as I deadpan ‘Oh~! What can I do now?! Mayday! Mayday! Critical hit!’ he exclaims.

   ‘Die will you?’ I bark, but the man ignores me as he literally goes on full fangirl mode right in front of me, making it extremely hard not to grab a hold of his real mane and faceplant him onto the nearest wall. Luckily, he’s saved when my phone goes off and the doorbell rings.

    Fishing the phone out of my pocket, still thinking I wasn’t too used to it, I press the answer button as Luciel sighs and walks off to answer the door. His shoulders fall and his golden gaze falls in a contemplating façade, as his attention travels from me to the door; shoulders slumping towards the ground, he admits defeat when the second ring echoes through the house and begrudgingly he ventures towards the stairs.

   ‘ ______ is this a bad time? I hope not.’_ MC’s voice comes from the other side of the line, pulling my attention from the red-head.

  ‘No MC, don’t worry at all. What’s up?’ I ask, fumbling with a few clothes nonchalantly.

  ‘ _Just called to see how you’re feeling and ask you if you have any plans for tomorrow night?’_

I sigh to myself and turn on my heel to navigate out of the basement ‘Between staring idly towards the wall and fighting with Luciel, I believe I can manage some time for you MC.’ I joke as I turn the lights off.

  She giggles _‘Well, I thought we should have some girls night out! You and me deserve some booze and Jaehee….well, she kinda deserves one 24/7. I could use both of your help to organize the next R.F.A party as well, so what is better than crossing out people hit-list style and drinking?’_

  ‘Hardly a few things come to mind.’ I agree with her and go up the stairs, my way illuminated by the strong lights of the living room ‘But will Jumin be okay with it? I mean, it’s not too long since you’re back…’

  ‘ _He’ll agree when I’ll tell him a few bodyguards will come along. Can’t win with him you know: I begged him today not to go to the office, but it’s inevitable...’_ she sighs and grumbles to herself about how workaholic her fiancée was.

  ‘How are things going with him?’ I ask, wondering where Luciel was and why silence prevailed all around.

 MC hesitates for a second before sighing heavily ‘ _Treats me like a fragile doll most of the time. Can’t say I don’t enjoy all the attention though. His father was really angry he missed so many days of work though and now that three executives are retiring, he’s got more work in his hands than he cares to admit.’_

 My eyebrows almost meet in confusion ‘Three people retire simultaneously?’ I question as I take the last step inside the living room and raising my eyes from the ground, my mind orders my feet to come to an abrupt stop right where I was standing.

   MC was saying something; as much as this, my brain was able to vaguely register her voice giving me information and chuckles about a topic which was slowly ebbing away from my mind as background noise. I was almost unable to register her, since my body froze right where I was standing and my heart stopped inside my chest. Triggering all alerts inside my mind to sound with all their blazing glory. My muscles tightened into attack mode and my eyes fixated on the figure standing a few meters away from me, right behind the plush sofa of Luciel’s living room.

  He was tall, way taller and more muscular than me, towering above my own form like a giant. His shoulders were sturdy and wide, forcing his black coat with the discreet animal print on the underside to strain against him as his hands were folded over his chest and he wore an almost bored expression on his face; sharp characteristics of a true manly man along with piercing brown eyes that were enough to make even the most brave back away slowly. His light brown hair were falling loosely over his shoulders and only served to render this man utterly handsome; I would be dazzled if I met him anywhere else, but meeting him in an empty living room with Luciel nowhere to be found and a small bump on the side of his waist –indicating the existence of a very familiar mean of defense– did nothing but throw me into attack mode. From his point, he was also studying me with an even and emotionless expression, like he was utterly bored out of his freakin mind. Yet I didn’t miss a certain glint flashing through his eyes. Dark. Challenging.

  ‘MC I’ll call you back.’ I hang up on her unceremoniously before eyeing he man dangerously ‘Who are you?’

 A dark flash crosses his eyes. I almost miss it. Almost.

  ‘I can ask you the same thing.’ He retorts evenly, eyes snapping on me as I took a step forward.

 ‘Where is Luciel? How did you get in here?’ I demand to know. My hand carefully slips behind me, reaching for the concealed dagger I had on me at all times. Movements careful not to draw attention; yet still drawing his glare and his lips tighten in a thin line.

  The man doesn’t dignify me with a response and my ears are greeted with even more silence as everything freezes around me; no sound comes from anywhere inside the house, alarming me to near insanity. Where the fuck was Luciel and what the fuck did this asshole do to him?!

  I take another step, blood rushing through me in hot waves of pure malice ‘I’ll count to three and if you don’t tell me where Luciel is, I’ll fucking gut you.’

  Silence greets me yet again and as I take another step forward, the man continues to be unfazed. My torso leans forward, winding me to jump on him in an instant, and my hand grabs a hold of the knife. The house remains silent and my heart pounds loudly against my ribcage in response to the scenarios of what this man might have done to Luciel flash before my eyes.

  ‘One.’

   He takes a step backwards as I prepare myself and analyze him and his possible weaknesses. Maybe having him grab me around the neck would be a bad idea: he looks like he can snap my neck like a twig.

  ‘Two.’

  There was never a way in hell I would actually count to three. As soon as I count to two, my feet eject me with all the power they had against the man that dared to enter this house and hurt Luciel, catapulting me against him with everything I had within me and completely ignoring the excruciating pain resonating from my injuries. All this was trivial. No injury mattered right now. It was the thought of Luciel injured, of Luciel suffering or even worse, that always seemed to tick me off; murderously hot anger poisoned my veins almost immediately, rushing through me with deranged speed and painting everything within my vision a vivid, war red. Hand gripping the knife, I would bathe myself in this fucker’s blood and then ask him again the questions he failed to answer the first time. Time seizes to exist all around me and for a split second it’s only me and him; the man takes a small step back, turning to fully face me as his eyes darken and his hands drop from his pockets as he prepares to counter the attack no less, but I’m already stepping on the sofa, ready to jump and strike the intruder first.

    Everything happens in a second.

   A red flash draws my attention to the left, a familiar voice muttering something as Luciel emerges from the hallway completely unharmed and holding some papers. Whatever he was saying was promptly interrupted by a loud swear escaping his lips as he looks up and is greeted with the spectacle that takes place right before him.

  Surprise penetrates me and my mind is thrown off focus.

 All I feel is my foot getting tangled with the back of the sofa, failing to follow the rest of my body, causing me to lose my balance.

 I never really felt the collision with the sturdy floor, since all I could feel was the white pain exploding through my entire body, resonating from each and every inch of me that had been severely beaten up back in the Cult headquarters. My hand and broken ribs screamed at the what the absolute flying fuck did I think I was doing and my head pounded like someone had decided to hit me with a baseball bat in full swing. For a single moment, all my brain could do –besides trying to bleed out my ears from the constant ringing resonating like an alarm– is buzz and question all my life choices. Someone picked me up at a random time during all this and by the time I realized I was back on my own two wobbling feet, I blinked sheepishly trying to understand what the fuck happened all while someone was laughing his heart out right beside me.

  ‘Impressive.’ A sarcastic voice broke through my trance and the foreign man looked at me with the same unimpressed glare he had previously given me.

 It was right then that I realized it was Luciel that picked me up, a Luciel that was currently laughing his heart out right beside me, hands still wrapped around my waist and almost folded in two in his desperate attempt to catch his breath as he laughed.

  My lips pressed together in dismay; my eyes twitched and my brain decided to give this big alien something to laugh about as my good hand rose in the air, tightening in a fist and came crashing down to hit him with all my might on the back of the head. A surprised exclamation of pain managed to escape his lips, before the extra weight threw him off balance and he fell unceremoniously on the floor as well; his glasses fell from his face and he was too surprised at first to understand what had happened. Sitting up on reflex, he looked up at me, rubbing the spot I hit.

   ‘Hey! What was that for?’ he accused me, pouting like a little child.

  Still, I regarded him coldly ‘Oups, it slipped.’

  The man hummed to himself and finally raised an eyebrow as he watched Luciel collect himself and his glasses up from the floor, the dark shadows lifting from his face in a slight amused expression. When Seven was back on his feet, he gestured grandly towards him.

  ‘_____, let me introduce you to Mary Vanderwood the 3rd! My maid!’ he grins an unfazed Cheshire smile.

‘I’m not your fucking maid.’ He growls.

  ‘You don’t look like a Mary to me…’ I tilt my head to the side and fold my hands over my chest ‘Of course if you feel like a Mary, it’s fine by me.’ I shrug.

  Now it was my turn to be the target of his cold stare ‘I’m Vanderwood. No Mary or anything fucking else. And since I haven’t seen you around at all, I’m going to assume whoever you are, you’ve brought trouble with you.’ he simply regards me evenly, making me raise an eyebrow.

  Yet before I had the chance to say anything, Seven beats me to it.

  ‘She’s my friend Vandy. Don’t be too harsh with her.’ He jokes, but the hand around my waist tightens even if he shuffles his red mane nonchalantly.

  ‘You have no friends other than the R.F.A Luciel-‘

‘That’s right actually’ I interrupt both of them before Luciel has the chance to reveal too much information ‘I’m with the R.F.A. I’m Jaehee’s Kang cousin.’ I use the first thing that comes to my mind and try my best to ignore Seven’s stare as I hold onto Vanderwood’s who only sighs indifferently.

  ‘Since you’ve declared it’s vacation time at the agency, I’m guessing this is no polite meeting to get acquainted with your friends is it Luciel?’ the man cleverly observes and Luciel only nods solemnly.

  ‘As I said on the phone, we have a problem and you are the only one that can get the info we want from the Agency. I can’t hack into the files; they’ll notice me no matter how careful I’ll be. And Mary Vanderwood, you owe me one for helping you out on the last mission.’ Luciel smiles one of his brightest smiles and I know him all too well to know that this was nothing but his own warning to the other man. Still, no matter how unfazed the other man remains, anger bubbles inside my chest like hot lava; taking a step to the side, release myself from Luciel’s grip and openly glare at him, making him gulp and instinctively back away a step.

   ‘You’re really bringing the Agency into this Luciel? Have you completely lost your fucking mind?!’ my voice is low, but the man flinches in the anger painting it bright like a star ‘Fuck this, I’m out of here.’

 Luciel grabs my hand before I have the chance to make a run for the hills, for the moon, for galaxy Andromeda –I hadn’t really decided quite yet. I almost growl straight at him, but Luciel for once drops his aloof façade and reveals the worry and anxiety resting underneath.

  ‘Please, please, don’t run, please. I’m only bringing Vanderwood in this, not the Agency. It’s pretty bad already and we need him. You and I can’t do everything by ourselves anymore and Jumin’s name will be soiled if he intervenes.’ He reasons with me, his hand softly holding my upper arm, touch careful and feather-like; scared ‘I trust him with my life and you know there’s only one more person on this universe like that.’

   For a moment we simply stare at each other. My (e/c) orbs bore into his melted golden ones, searching for the slightest sign that betrayed he believed this was a bad idea and give me just the leverage I needed to end this parody of a discussion. Yet whatever I was searching for is never found; Luciel simply stares back at me with the calm determination his young years and optimistic personality fuel him with and drive him through each shitty day. How many times had I stared back at this same expression; mostly it would end with both of us almost dragging our corpses through the door of our safe house half dead and beaten to pulp, but knowing it was the only chance he had to turn the tables to our favor. And I hated it. I hated it with the strongest passion I had hidden within me, because it always meant the little alien was right and I was too stubborn to see it. I wanted to be angry with him; I wanted to curse him for bringing a man that works for the Agency into this, close to me, endangering me yet I knew Luciel would rather die than risk my life in any way…. He had proven it so many times in the past.

    Still hated it though.

 Then, realization hit me like a hard slap on the face.

My eyes widened ‘You found something didn’t you?’  I exclaim, mouth dropping in surprise.

  He chuckles nervously and messes with his hair once again ‘Kinda, yeah.’

Fucking perfect ‘Alright.’ I sigh deeply, suddenly uneasy on my own two feet ‘Alright, this will take long, so how about some coffee and hot coco with a funny umbrella for you Seven?’

   Both men agree with a nod and an exclamation of happiness –guess who did what– so I make my way towards the kitchen, turning on my heel and storming off, like I could actually storm off all these weird things happening to a few people that had done nothing even remotely nefarious in their lives. I mean, had Fate decided to royally screw them over or what?! Once I was inside the kitchen, I immediately glare at the coffee pot with a burning anger like it was my lifelong nemesis. Vanderwood and Seven make themselves comfortable at the table, with Seven immediately running the man through what has happened until now and me searching the cabinets for the coffee and chocolate powder. Thankfully, even if Seven’s kitchen appliances could very well be from another era or falling apart at any given touch, yet the coffee machine was the only one brand new and working perfectly, something that I supposed was due to Vanderwood and not Seven himself.

 As I make the hot drinks, Seven explains to Vanderwood all that has happened even before I came back. The man’s serious gaze seems to darken with each passing minute and each new information, but other than the shadow now making its permanent stay on his brown eyes, everything else about him remains calm and utterly cold. By the way he seems oddly at ease around Luciel though and the way Seven is more of his cheerful and yet on point self, it didn’t take a genius to guess that they were partners from the Agency. It kind of reminded me the old days, where the spot he occupies now used to be mine and without wanting it, a strange feeling shifts in my stomach. No idea what it was and no curiosity to search it further; I just grab the cups and serve the two men, while I reclaim my standing spot, leaning against the counter. Bringing the cup to my lips, the sweet liquid assaults me and warms its way to my stomach, calming my nerves a little bit as I observed the strange duo, withdrawn inside my own messy thoughts.

  ‘So after ____-yeo came back with MC, I tried monitoring the place but the darn hacker kept blocking each and single one of my spaceship attacks. Until yesterday where I managed to find out that the whole cult has abandoned the place. They’re nowhere to be seen and I can’t seem to find them! Not even I God Seven!’ Luciel admits and toys with the small umbrella, while a stray strand of tomato colored hair falls over his eyes.

  Vanderwood nods solemnly ‘Naturally; their position has been compromised so they would move the first chance they got to work from the shadows, especially now that you’ve infiltrated them so easily. What else?’

  ‘For the past week, many companies in the same league as cat-mom’s C&R have opened their doors to the public with charity works under the name ‘ _Charities for Magenta’_ where they encourage people to attend and find their way into a better cat life. Helping the poor, distributing food, all that jam falls under the category and many people on social media talk about how much they’d like to join Magenta and have a better life in the spaceship than the one they have now. Some graffiti of the Mint Eye logo are also frequently seen around Seoul as well.’ Seven sighs and leans heavily back on his chair, his shoulders slumping tiredly.

  ‘They are starting to spread their influence to the public.’ I comment, pressing my lips into a thin line ‘If they get them on their side, who on earth knows what they’ll be capable of. One thing for sure, is that it won’t be anything good for any of us.’ In my words, Seven nods and sighs once again while Vanderwood’s gaze turns from me to Seven and back.

  ‘Charity though does not apply to the public as something dangerous for them in any way. You will have to have solid proof they are dangerous; testimonies from people, victims, anything that can be used as a bargaining chip against them. Up until now, you got nothing.’ Vanderwood says calmly.

  I turn to Seven ‘How about we check the food they are distributing to the homeless? It’s a good place to start and I can go tonight to retrieve some.’ I suggest, but Seven nods in refusal.

  ‘No kitty, you’re still injured it’d be too dangerous even for you.’

‘Before we continue this’ Vanderwood interrupts the red-head ‘What exactly is that you need me to do Luciel?’

  Seven’s eyes light up and the man grins widely, momentarily forgetting what I had suggested ‘We need you Lady Mary Vanderwood to search the Agency’s info and see if they have something about Mint Eye. Defender of Justice Seven-Zero-Seven can’t do it without getting caught, so you are the perfect maid for the job!’ he chuckles, failing to be bothered by Vanderwood’s death glare.

  ‘You do know that is practically suicide with the Agency right?’ the man asks.

  ‘Yeap!’ Seven beams.

  ‘And you believe I’ll give you whatever information I find?’

  ‘Kitty-yeah!’

  ‘And you know I have no obligation to help you right?’

  ‘I know ms Mary, but you’re going to do it either way because I’m awesome and you know it.’ Seven chirps and drinks the remaining hot chocolate from his mug with one gulp; the smile of victory and the secret wink he send my way only served to reassure me he had forced Vanderwood to help us with such unusual ways even I didn’t know how on earth he managed to do so. And that comes from a person that knows him since forever…

   If looks could kill though, I was pretty sure Luciel would be set ablaze right where he was sitting with the intense death-glare Vanderwood threw at him; the man folded his hands above his sturdy chest and seemed to contemplate for a few moments how long it would take him to strangle Luciel and then come after me before I made a run for the door. The two sides –to kill or not to kill– battled fiercely with one another, a battle I could pretty much see in all its glory standing right across from him, but in the end, the sigh he released was enough for Luciel to know he had won him big time. Luciel beamed and fist-pumped the air and Vanderwood now seemed to regret all his life choices. I felt for the man, but it was every man for himself with Luciel.

 ‘Fine. I will get you the information you want, but you have to explain to me exactly who is she, because I am not buying whatever you are selling me.’ he says and points with a nod straight at me, making both of us freeze instantly; Seven turned his golden gaze to me and I shot an angry one back, letting him know he was in big trouble for this. Of course the man would not believe the bullshit of a story we sold him at the beginning and I doubt he even believed it in the first place.

  So now I was in a tough stop and Luciel was the one to drive me there. The logical part of my mind whispered that if Luciel trusted Vanderwood then I should too because if he didn’t, Luciel would already be dead within the first year I went away. He was trustworthy if he dealt with him for all those years and despite the permanent dark circles under Seven’s eyes, he was still well fed and most importantly… alive. Yet there was a small voice in the back of my head, just a tinny-tiny voice, that whispered ‘shoot him in the head now that you’ve got the chance’; I knew there was a gun hidden behind me inside the cabinet. I had hidden it myself. So everything would be solved and my identity concealed if I just pulled it and shot at him; maybe I barely had time to do so before he would shoot me instead. Luciel would scream at me, one of those rare cases. The kitchen tiles would need cleaning and blood and brain matter is tough to clean… We’d need to make the body disappear- I think I saw some large dumpsters a few blocks from here… Maybe it was too much work. Then again, was he really ready to hear who I am? Was I?

  I sighed resigned… Yolo indeed.

  ‘Alright, I think it’s only fair to know since you’ll be helping us.’ I say evenly, watching carefully from the corner of my eyes Luciel tense up and his face contort into a mask of sadness; he must have known the thoughts passing from my mind, yet it was my decision ‘But I have to make sure you won’t let anything slip. And I mean anything. Nobody knows who might overhear and it won’t be only my body that piles up. So I ask you Agent Vanderwood, do I have your word on this?’

  It wasn’t too often I used my Agent voice and Luciel’s eyes widened at the sound of it, while even Vanderwood shifted on his chair.

   Calmly, cautiously he returned the fierce gaze ‘I have protected Luciel long enough to know when not to talk.’

It was short, laconicall answer. I nodded.

  ‘Most probably’ I folded my hands over my chest ‘You’ve already heard of me, especially back in the Agency. I am Agent La Muerta.’

   Cat’s out of the freaking bag. Luciel turns his full attention to Vanderwood, watching the man’s face intently for any indication that should alert us. Anything. The slightest blink. I, on the other hand, held his gaze steadily, waiting patiently for the man to say something; he remained perfectly silent for a few moments and I could swear I could hear the clock in the living room clicking away the minutes passing. Grave silence fell over us all, settling among the cupboards and the table like a deep, swirling mist that seemed to make time slow down all around us. It could have been centuries, eons that passed by us or it could have been mere seconds of total and unbreakable silence where no one even breathed; or it was merely seconds.

   Eventually, Vanderwood’s mouth half opens ‘You are dead.’

His voice sounded more accusing than confused, making me chuckle.

  ‘For the Agency, I am. And I’ll remain like that actually. Or you’ll have to worry for someone much more dangerous than the Boss.’ I simply state the obvious as I flay my hand nonchalantly, never missing the way his lips tightened.

  ‘Are you threatening me?’

‘I’m warning you actually. None of us here would want you to screw things up and I’d hate for Luciel to lose his partner; you seem like a capable guy, no lie.’ I admit.

  ‘Mary Vanderwood’s kept me out of a lot of shit kitty-yeo. I owe him actually.’ Luciel chuckles and rests a hand on Vanderwood’s shoulder, with the latter jerking away.

‘Do I need to taser you?! Do you have any idea what the Agency will do to you if they find out she’s here?!’ Vanderwood accuses before he turns to me, leaning over the table angrily ‘Are you insane?! Why the fuck did you come back when you got out?! Any Agent would kill to do that!’

  ‘And I did.’ I retaliate ‘I killed myself and left. I only came back because Luciel Choi needed me and I’ll be damned if don’t do everything in my power to keep him safe! I’m his previous partner, I’ve been with him longer than you and been through shit that would scare the living fuck out of you _Agent_ , so don’t you DARE use that tone with me!’ my voice boomed inside the room, making both of them flinch visibly. Both Agents leaned away.

  ‘Fine. It is your heads on the line; I do not care in the least.’ Vanderwood shrugs and looks away, leaning back on his chair while Luciel gave me a thumbs up and a smile to match the brightness of the sun.

    For the rest of the day, we passed it coming up with the perfect plan to track down and pinpoint just how much Mint Eye had infiltrated the public. It was a long and tiring process and no matter how much I thought about it, every single scenario was worse than the previous one; if the public starts being manipulated only bad things are meant to happen in the future and stopping them would be extremely hard of not impossible. Vanderwood and Seven worked tirelessly to find as much information as they could and I was left to be the extra opinion that weighed the balance when they disagreed. Shuffling through my phone, I discovered that Seven had installed the R.F.A chatroom on it, so I logged in to let everyone know we were okay and working on a plan; MC –as expected– had been very worried since I hung up so suddenly, but eventually calmed down when I explained. Jaehee was running around the coffee shop and only had a bit of spare time to log in and see how everybody’s was doing and Zen shared some of the pictures he had taken from his rehearsal, which had Jaehee and MC fangirling. I had to admit though, his medieval attire matched with his silver hair and red eyes so much, I found myself swooning a little bit over them; maybe I should save them to show them to Alexandra when I had the time. I was sure Zen would be the next in line crush for her; oh the fangirling and screeching pterodactyl noises I would hear.

   My mood lifted a bit at the thought of my best friend; leaving the two men to their own plans, I decided to clean a little bit around the house and cook something to eat while doing so, since something told me we’d need all the energy we could. I was contemplating with myself if I should attempt to call Alexandra or not, since it’s been almost four weeks since I was gone, but eventually decided against it; she would rightfully demand answers I was unable to give her and that would only make things worse. So swallowing back the lump that made its way into my throat, I direct my attention to any physical labor I could throw myself in to escape the weight and sadness my thoughts brought me. It wasn’t as if I would not go back and then it would be safe to explain everything. I stole a gaze towards the smiling Luciel who talked animatedly with Vanderwood; so much had changed in so little time over and over again. Life seemed always to play a twisted game.

  Eventually, things were decided among the three of us. In order to get things started, we had to check our very first lead and examine what exactly was the food Mint Eye gave the homeless and to do that, I would have to disguise myself and pass as one of them while Vanderwood would also be joining me in case things got too tough; I was still too injured to engage in battle like last time so someone would have to do the dirty work for me. Luciel would stay back to monitor and track them through the CCTV around the area and pinpoint where on earth they hide.

   ‘Are you sure you’re okay to go kitty-yeo? I can always dress up you know~ I bet I still have that purple wig somewhere. ’ Luciel purrs from the threshold of my bedroom as I pull a ragged blouse over my head, covering my black suit underneath.

  I shake my head ‘I said I’m fine Seven, it doesn’t even hurt anymore. Also, you have to track them down.’

  ‘Buuuuuut yoouuu can doooo that tooooooooooo~’ he whines childishly ‘What if you get more hurt?’

  ‘Vanderwood is gonna be with me, don’t act like a baby.’ I sigh.

 ‘But I’m your baby and I tell you not to go~ Little alien stay!’ he commands stubbornly, only to earn a glare. Still he doesn’t budge and isn’t amused at all. His lips are pressed into a thin line and his foot taps the floor restlessly, betraying just how much the man was anxious about what was going to happen. Sighing, I toss him the brunette wig I had on my bed.

  ‘The alien is for herself and you better help me put that on.’ I say, resting my hands on my hips as he came close to me, fiddling with the wig ‘It’s not like you to be that anxious so what’s the matter Defender of Justice? Cat got your panties in a twist?’

  Leaning my head down a bit, he helps me put the hairy thing on, making sure as I stand up straight again that my real (h/c) locks were properly hidden under it. It was a bit of a challenge to find ragged clothes in Luciel’s wardrobe, because above all else, he liked to keep his things polished and in perfect condition. We actually had to dishevel one of his more ‘normal’ wigs just to make it seem more realistic and Seven was nowhere even close to happy about it. Yet this was a whole other level of nagging even for him.

  ‘I just don’t want you anywhere near that Stormtrooper.  Because, contrary to the others, he did shoot you straight in the chest.’ He says thoughtfully, his face falling into a frown.

  ‘I promise, he’s not even going to be there Seven! And you’ll be talking with me the whole time, if you see him coming, I promise to run.’ I try to reassure him the best way I could but nothing changes into his golden eyes.

  That was until he moved. He moved so fast, I barely had time to notice the slight movement since before I knew it, tight and sturdy hands wrap tightly around my small form, enveloping and pulling me against a muscular surface that was as warm as an oven. My nose is immediately assaulted by the rich aroma of honey and butter and Luciel leans his head sheepishly on my shoulder, holding on to me for dear life. Eyes opening wide with surprise, my heart almost bursts out of my chest and my brain is unable to send the slightest signal through my body to move, to push him away to actually DO something. Instead, I remain there, completely frozen like a deer in headlights allowing the man to release his anxiety through physical contact. A small voice, a barely audible whisper in the back of my blurry mind, was actually sinfully enjoying this. That little traitor.

  ‘I don’t want you to get hurt alien kitty.’ He whispers, sending a wild shiver down my spine ‘Please come back unharmed.’

  My breath hitched.

 ‘If you guys are going to hug the mission out, then I am going back home.’ A slightly irritated voice brings me out of my stupor and Luciel immediately releases me, laughing and throwing some witty remark back to Vanderwood. Leaving me with a face beat red and my heart betraying me sinfully loudly.

  Thankfully for me, the mission was set into motion and no more chances to be thrown off balance presented themselves for me. Luciel immediately connected with us through the earpieces both on mine and Vanderwood’s ear, repeating the goal of the mission quite clearly: we went in, grabbed some food and get back. Vanderwood had a few people able to analyze it quickly enough, so in relative terms, the mission was going to be a walk in the park. With Luciel wishing us good luck and sending a kiss for me, Vanderwood turned the engine of my bike on and exited the underground parking quickly.

    Outside the protected confines of Luciel’s quarters, the night was already deeper and colder than ever before. Winter was well on its way and the penetrating cold pierced through the many layers of my clothing like I was wearing nothing at all. My skin crawled unpleasantly and my teeth pushed tightly against one another in a desperate attempt to keep themselves from hitting with each other. Darkness spread like a thick sheet over the sky, drowning away all the city lights and the moonlight in an eerie way that send my mind on high alert; it was already way past midnight and most of Seoul had already fallen deep asleep, carefully tucked inside the coziness and security their homes provided, allowing the ghosts to freely roam all around. Truly enough, the humidity was enough to create a faint, silver mist hanging above the ground nonchalantly and drawing inside all the lights of the nearby buildings, aiding the darkness to prevail even more. Solemnly, I realize I had forgotten just how haunting winter around here could get; me and Luciel had found ourselves inside the dead of the winter night many times, cloaked inside the shadows and carrying our lethal missions with nothing but precision, yet it was the first time I truly looked around me. In this setting, combined with the darkness accompanying our mere existences, it was no wander if anyone thought of us back then as true ghosts.

   Buildings pass by us quickly, as Vanderwood steps on the accelerator more and more, venturing through the night with only Luciel’s instructions to guide him through the bereft of any life roads. Nobody was on the streets and a few stray cats and dogs were running to take cover as we passed by them, with me looking at them curiously. It was almost too good to be true; no city like Seoul can be as empty as it currently is. Alas, when we started venturing through the poorest sides of the city, the emptiness seized to exist. Now homeless people of various ages spread around the small alleyways, cowering as much as they could into any corner that could provide them with the all-necessary warmth to get through the night, but also away from the deafening sound of the bike; here loud noises only meant bad things. A few homeless kids were brave enough to stare at us as we passed, before their parents rushed to get them out of our sight. An elderly man was sleeping soundly against a dumpster, a ragged blanket securely wrapped around his fragile body.

  ‘If I only knew Mint Eye fed the homeless, I’d also think they’re good to have around.’ I mumble slowly, watching the poor people with sadness.

  ‘ _No one is ever that kind kitty; everybody wants something in return for their kindness.’_ Luciel sighs in my ear.

‘Then what is the point of kindness in the first place? Have we no shame?’ I angrily sigh, frustrated with the world around me.

  ‘ _Kindness doesn’t have the same meaning anymore. At least not on large group of people, who only try to portray themselves in a better light. Kindness doesn’t scream; it lurks around when nobody’s watching… I remember when we used to be like them… Not so fun times..’_ I can practically hear Luciel rolling his shoulders back in dismay and rubbing the back of his neck.

  ‘Tell me about it…’ I say dejectedly ‘I’d rather forget about it.’

   Vanderwood ventured a little bit further away from the large crowds of homeless and into the sanctuary provided by the shadows on the edges of the streets, concealing anyone and everything that wanted to pass by unnoticed. Getting down from the bike, I grab the worn out blanket off his hands and carefully wrap it around my body and use some of it as a hood to conceal my features even further. Its warmth was welcoming for my freezing skin and sealed away the cold of winter enough to allow me not to shiver violently.

  ‘Remember: grab the food and come back. Don’t engage with any of them.’ Vanderwood advised me with a solemn expression ‘I will be waiting right here and if anything happens, Luciel will inform me.’

 ‘Roger. Go in, go out. Easy peasy.’ I agree and walk off towards the few alleyways behind us.

 The sound of my feet against the concrete was almost non-existent and my (e/c) orbs shoot towards various directions in order to detect any potential dangers before it was too late. Even Seven had grown completely silent on my earpiece, allowing me to think clearly; he could still see everything happening from the choker around my neck and the satellites, so there was no point in polite chit-chat that could give my cover up.

   Rounding another corner, I find myself on a busy with life alleyway. Homeless people were coming and going restlessly; some of them were sitting closely together on the edges of the alleyway, trying their best to stop shivering and chase away the coldness by either sleeping or muttering under their breaths. A few others were standing up or walking up and down the tight space, talking loudly and nodding to one another as they threw excited glances towards the road, obviously waiting for someone to arrive. Navigating myself towards a secluded corner, I plop myself down next to a young girl who was probably around fifteen years old; she scooted a bit further away to make some space for me, but still stayed close enough so we could warm each other up. Resting my back against the sturdy wall behind us, I make sure my cover is perfect as the people standing start muttering and yelling loudly among themselves about someone being rather late. Fighting if ‘they’ would come soon or at all; the cold was getting bitter and food was even scarcer. Anger and fear for the upcoming winter enveloped their hearts rather quickly.

   ‘Food’s gonna be here soon.’ A faint voice broke me out of my thoughts ‘Hope you’re not too hungry.’

  A pair of pale green eyes falls on my face and the young girl gives me a wry and tired smile. Hurrying to nod my head, I throw a look towards the restless others.

  ‘They seem to think it won’t.’ I say and she scoffs.

‘It’s always here around three; they’re just idiots who can’t get a fucking grip.’ She grumbles and swifts to move her blankets a bit more around herself as a man yells to the woman in front of him and she backs away scared ‘Haven’t seen you around. You’re new?’

  I nod sadly the best I could ‘Got kicked out and practically robbed by my husband. Destroyed my life savings, so here I am…’ I shrug indifferently, hearing Seven chuckle lowly in my ear; mentally I roll my eyes ‘Names Rinya.’

   ‘Sukie. I run out of my pathetic-excuse-of-a-family a year ago. Drunk dad used to beat me up.’ She chuckles dryly to a joke only she knew and her green eyes shone a bit with mirth ‘Won’t stay here for long though. Got plans to save my amazing ass.’ She offers a large grin that made the dark circles under her eyes fainter.

  My eyebrow arcs ‘Like?’

 She gives me a grin ‘I’ve been invited to join Magenta, of course! The folks that spoke to me said I’m too precious to rot on the streets, so they offered me a chance to actually do something with my life and help others! I’ll be leaving this shithole by the end of this week to have the Entrance Ceremony! Can’t argue with me when I say they’re awesome!’

  In front of her utter excitement, my blood runs cold and my heart stops. She doesn’t know where she’s walking into ‘You’ve given this a lot of thought. What if you found a small jo-‘

 ‘Oh please, like, how well did that turn out for you?’ she cuts me off with an eye roll and a scoff ‘They’re amazing Rin; been feeding us for all these months now and can actually save us you know? I heard the Saviour is a real angel on earth!’

  _I’ve heard they’re the incarnation of pure evil_ ‘Just be careful will ya?’

  Sukie simply shrugs me off with a nod and a scoff, before a huge black SUV comes to a screeching stop in front of the small alleyway. Cheering voices and exclamations of happiness fill the small place to raise themselves towards the darkened sky, as the first cult members rushed out of the van and started greeting people rushing close to them with familial terms and warmth; pretentious or not, they truly sold what they got with gusto and the homeless were simply mesmerized by them. A few women were with them, all of them dressed in simple and colorless clothes, wearing the badge of the cult on their right arm and obeying the orders given by a larger, older male who opened the trunk and ordered them to move. All of them couldn’t be older than fifty or younger than forty, wearing tranquil smiles and an aura of reassurance, as they grabbed small packages and started distributing them to everyone around.

  A few homeless had enough strength on their bones to go to them by themselves, while others like us, simply stood back and accepted the package offered with small nods, smiles or even wishes for their well being and prayers for good health and luck. Watching them venture around freely, leisurely talking with the homeless like they were nothing but mere people –and innocent at that- like all the rest simply made my skin crawl. Images of a severely beaten up MC and a rigid businessman lying inside a pool of his own blood were enough to electrify my nerves and make them stand on the edge; these were wolves venturing inside a herd of sheep, making them believe everything was fine until the time to be devoured alive came. Disgusting and utterly manipulative. All those thoughts poisoned my mind and I had to hold myself back in a nonchalant state in order not to pounce on the woman who offered me my package of food, smiling a face-splitting smile I found rather intimidating than reassuring.

  Watching closely as the others opened their own bowls and promptly dive into them with no hesitation at all, I figured there’ll be no problem with sliding away from here with ease now that everyone was occupied with their own business. Still, it was wise to wait out a little bit, so I decided to open my package and see if anything was amiss with the food upon the first glance. Almost immediately, I was assaulted by the delicious smell of the traditional Korean mushroom soup (Beoseot-deulkkae-tang) which was steamy and mouthwatering even for me; the meat inside looked fresh and the mushrooms amazing, but some of them I had never seen before inside the said dish. Strange. Sniffling a bit more, I noticed the smell was a bit more tangy and bitter than what it usually was… it was such a faint fragrance that I almost missed it the first time I opened the box, but just now realized it was there as well…

   ‘ _Time to get out of here kitty. Clock’s ticking_.’ Seven murmurs in my ear and I nod to no one in particular before closing the lid. It was time to get the absolute fuck out of Loonytown before I did something that would compromise the whole mission.

    Cautiously, I raise myself to my feet when I was sure no one was watching me and everything happening around me was enough to draw any to all attention from me and turning on my heel, I make my way towards Vanderwood. Clutching the damned box tightly between my hands, feeling my skin burn hotly due to the scorching contents, yet feeling my heart beat loudly within my chest. It was possible I was holding onto our very first serious evidence to bring Mint Eye down and no matter how trained I was, it didn’t stop the faint trembling from my hands nor the hitched breath that made my sides strain with pain. Shadows enveloped me, yet I felt more exposed than ever, ordering myself with severity not to turn and look behind me –it would be a suspicious move bound to draw attention if anybody was watching me. Alas, if I had turned, I’d seen the shadow moving before it was too late.

  ‘Are you lost little mouse? The bivouac is the other way…’ a silvery, mechanical voice spoke out of nowhere behind me, and I yelped louder than I would care to admit.

   Luciel spoke in my earpiece, further making my blood cold ‘ _Shit! It’s him ______!’_

Fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuck. Me.  Duuuuuuuuude.

   ‘I’m just going to sleep. I’ll eat there…’ I hear myself respond from afar –oddly lightly and innocently–, since my brain had practically set itself ablaze, making me unable to either move or hear anything else but the deafening ringing of all danger alerts going off in my brain in unison. Still, I didn’t miss the faint chuckle or the sound of a step echoing towards me.

  ‘’s that so?’ another step and I have to resist my strong urge to run off ‘Haven’t seen you around. I’d remember an ass like yours for sure. Who are you?’

  ‘Rinya. Friends call me Rin.’

 ‘Turn around.’ This time, his voice comes from too close and the command is so clear, like the shiver going down my spine.

  Time to get the fuck out of here.

  ‘Turn around!’ he growls and I grow cold.

  I know he is close; it’s almost like I can feel his breath falling on the back of my neck and by the way my hair stands, I know he is at least a few feet away from me. The mechanical voice is not familiar, but it doesn’t need a genius to guess it was the motherfucker with the bleached white hair that shot me. Problem is, what is he doing here? Did he know I was going to come? I try my best to contain my terror. My body braces itself to break into a run. Muscles tighten and blinking, my eyes fixate on the few blocks dividing me from Vanderwood and salvation, as my brain assesses the situation in a split second: my injuries are severe enough still, so battle one-to-one is absolutely out of the freaking question if I don’t want to get caught. Secondly, if I fight him, possibilities are for me to spill the soup in some way. So I got to run for my fucking life, like Lucy himself is after me. Because right now, he may well be. RUN! Breath hitches. My body leans forward. Vision fixates and brain gets ready.

    Everything blurs around me as something hits my left side with so much severity, I only know excruciating pain as it shoots up from my sides like a metallic whip. Instinctively, my eyes close as my back comes in hard contact with the wall and my broken ribs force a scream of pain out of me as I see stars. Luciel is frantic in my ear and his voice is drowned in the distance as my mind struggles to understand what’s going on, yet it’s glad that my hands still hold onto the soup. Blinking rapidly, I barely manage to catch a glimpse of a shadow moving against me, before a hand clasps around my neck unceremoniously and presses down onto my trachea. Choking, my lungs struggle for air and my eyes search for my attacker.

   Only to be greeted by a sea of mint colored eyes drowned in nothing but deranged insanity.

From up close, the man was surely even more terrifying than when he had cold-bloodedly shot me inside the Cult’s headquarters. He was definitely not too muscular, rather leaning towards the leaner side and definitely being a bit smaller than Luciel, but he was extremely powerful and his hand tightening around my neck was a solid proof. He was a bit shorter than Luciel yet he still towered above me pridefully, his aura dark and heavy like sticky miasma of the darkest demon straight through hell’s gates. His mouth was covered by a mouthpiece utterly concealing his characteristics, yet his bleached white hair with the pinkish tips were in complete contrast with the penetrating darkness prevailing right behind him. Eyebrows furrowing in dismay over his eyes, his grip tightens and my choking sounds come to a complete, breathless, stop.

  ‘Before I beat the shit out of you whore, tell me: you’re the bitch that broke into our quarters ain’t that right?’ he chuckles menacingly and his eyes glisten in complete glee as I struggle like a madwoman to get out of his grip. My feet kick and toss around, trying desperately to free me from his lethal grip, alas the more I move the more my oxygen levels start to rapidly diminish.

 ‘I-agh!......F………k…..! N-o.’

  He leans closer ‘What’s that? Is your mouth too full to speak? Or should I fill it?’ he darkly chuckles again and by now I cannot feel the pressure anymore since the pain resonating from my body is excruciating and my vision begins to blur. He takes notice of that and miraculously eases his grip a little bit; air rushes into my lungs abruptly but the coughs die inside me as he leaves me no room to inhale properly still, leaning towards me with his eyes shining with malice.

  ‘Tell your fucking friends in the R.F.A, they’ll beg me to stop but I won’t. Not until each and every one of you pays. Beginning with you~ I promise, I’ll treat you like a princess~’

  He slyly mocks me and raises his hand, grabbing a hold of my make-shift hoodie and pulling it down abruptly to get a better look on my face before he pounded. (H/c) locks free themselves from their confines and cascade my furious face in a literal mess as I openly glare at the deranged man right in front of me, despite the fact my oxygen levels were still on dangerously low levels. I was definitely **not** going down by his hand and that thought was enough to drive my brain to come up with an escape plan; Vanderwood was already on his way and Luciel was praying in my ear, yet it was my own hands that set my plan into motion, unscrewing the lid of the box as I fiercely glare to the unaware male.

   Only to find him staring at me wide eyed. Mint color lenses obscuring the true eye color behind them had grown wide along with his own eyes, as the man stared straight at my face with a mixture of emotions flaring across his face –or at least what I could see of it. At first there was a flash of sorrow; raw and painful pain flashed over his delicate characteristics, giving swiftly way to utter disbelief and eventually a pained anger I had no idea where it originated from. His mouth must have been half-opened under his mask and he stared straight at my own confused eyes, growing paler and angrier by the minute, like he was finally catching an elusive ghost he’d been chasing for years. Grip faltering, a soft gasp came from under his mask and his fingers relaxed around my throat, allowing me to inhale.

  ‘No……it….it can’t be!’ he muttered, more to himself than to me and a positively pissed off expression spread over his face ‘You died in that fire! I saw your house burning! You’re dead!!!’

   Terror strikes me dumb right then, right there. Brain struggling for answers, both I and Luciel in my ear grew utterly silent at the declaration escaping Unknown’s lips. Fire… he knew about the fire?! H-how would he kno- Oh my God! There are only a handful of people knowing about the fire in my past that burnt my home to the ground and none of them were good news for either me or Luciel, in any way. My heart almost exploded inside my ribcage and I felt light-headed. Vision clouding, breath hitching, my body allowed itself to go into full instinct mode.

  I didn’t know who this man was, but I need to get rid of him **now**.

  He barely notices from the corner of his eyes the sharp, upward movement my hands do. There was a moment of curiosity, before a scorching hot liquid falls on both our faces and clothes, burning mercilessly through our fleshes and eliciting screams of pain. The soup burns away everything in its path and the man screams loudly and releases his grip around my neck to throw his hands on his eyes and painfully scream as he takes a few steps away and gives me the right opening, the precise moment I can miraculously hear the engine of my bike coming close. Speak about luck! Alas, I was too lost in my own world to care about anything other than the screaming white-haired male in front of me. Slipping one of my knives out of its hidden socket, I tighten my grip around it and ignore the excruciating pain of the hot soup covering my face and torso. My jaw tightens as my eyes narrow; I cannot let him live if he knows about the fire. I’ve got to kill him right here and now before his realization and recognition poses too much threat. Who am I kidding, he recognized me already and he needs to die right now.

  All I do is take a threatening step towards him, preparing my knife; mind flooding with self-preservation and eyes flashing.

  He finally stops screaming and regains his deranged composure, glaring openly and swearing loudly.

  None of us hear the engine or see the motorbike.

  A sturdy hand grabs a hold of my waist and earth is suddenly lost under my feet, as Vanderwood pulls me against his body and speeds off that damned alleyway and away from the Cult’s hitman. Ignoring my screaming swears and threats for his life.

  All I see of that alleyway before it disappears from my sight is the absolute look of utter betrayal flashing over Unknown’s face.


End file.
